The Clean Plate Club

I'm almost certain that if not for peanut butter, at least one of my kids would have starved by now. They put it on pretty much everything: bread, waffles, celery, apples, graham crackers, bananas, ice cream. I can't imagine how I would cope if one of them had a peanut allergy. I do buy the kind with no trans fats, just to make myself feel better.

We’ll even let them have a peanut butter sandwich for dinner, at times, if they really don’t like what we’re having. Sometimes we make them clean their plates—my husband doesn’t remember any other option when he was growing up—but I usually remember my vow to not torture the children if they absolutely can't eat something I lovingly prepare. I try not to take it personally.

There was one Christmas season way back when (I was in a high chair, so it was a loonnng time ago) and my brothers and I were so excited that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer would be on television that night. Of course, there were no DVR's or any such modern conveniences, so if we missed it, we would have to wait the entire year before we could see it again.

Unfortunately, the rule in our house was that we had to clean our plates before we could do anything else. I wasn't an extremely picky eater, but there were a few things my mom made that I just couldn't stomach: stuffed peppers, spaghetti sauce with onions, and stew. Of course, my mom chose to make stew on Rudolph night.

I can still picture the dark lonely kitchen, and pathetic, pitiful me sitting alone in my highchair, full bowl of cold stew on the tray. I managed to swallow a few soggy carrots, but just couldn’t bring myself to consume the rest. I could hear the television in the other room, but couldn't see the show I waited for all week. It wasn't until the show was over that I was finally allowed out of my chair.

That's why, from time to time, I will let my kids make themselves a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. They need to take at least one "no thank you" bite of whatever we're eating, but I see no point in making them suffer. There will be plenty of other opportunity to torture them as they grow up.