Why Did I Get This Kitchen Set For My Daughter If She Refuses To Make Delicious Home-Cooked Meals for Our Family?
I mean, would it kill her to make some lobster linguini or steak tartare?
Parenting a 5-year-old is hard work. Despite your best efforts, things don’t always turn out the way you expect. Take my daughter Penelope, for instance. Two months ago, my wife and I bought her this expensive children’s kitchen set, but for some reason she refuses to make delicious home-cooked meals for our family. What gives?
Don’t get me wrong. Penelope loves her new kitchen set and plays with it all the time. But, I expected a little more from her, and so I’ve been doing what I can to motivate her culinary ambitions. Whenever dinner time approaches, I check my watch in a very obvious way and say, “Boy, I’m getting pretty hungry. I wonder what we should eat for dinner.” I look at Penelope and then at her kitchen set and then back at her, raising my eyebrows.
“What do you think we should eat for dinner?” I ask.
She shrugs at me and says, “Can we get pizza?”
I’m confident Penelope knows how to cook, but for some reason she chooses not to. I figure like any true artist she’s waiting to be inspired, and so I’ve been leaving cookbooks in her playroom to stimulate her imagination. Later, when I check the books, I see that the pages have been covered with crayon marks. So I know she’s been reading them. I’m just confused as to why she won’t try out any of the recipes.
It’s not as if she doesn’t have the materials. Penelope has all the ingredients she could ever want. I’ve been keeping her kitchen well-stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to a variety of fine meats and cheeses. Unfortunately, all the food items seem to spoil before she gets the chance to use them. Last week, I had to throw out a whole rack of lamb, because it was starting to attract flies. What a waste.
Penelope does make food for us sometimes, I guess. Yesterday for lunch, she made me a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. It was a nice gesture. But, to be honest, I didn’t care for the combination of flavors. I also thought the Lego hidden inside was a strange culinary choice. And then there was the garnish made of pencil shavings which again, if I’m being completely honest, I found a bit gauche. I mean, would it kill her to make a plate of lobster linguini every now and then? Or, steak tartare?
At this point, I’m assuming Penelope is simply taking her time. She’ll become an expert chef whenever she’s good and ready. Maybe next Tuesday. For now I’m happy to report that Penelope is very excited about the new doctor’s kit I just got her. She even has me scheduled for a blood draw this afternoon. I’m confident she’ll be able to handle all our family’s medical needs from now on. What a gifted child, our Penelope is.
