“Can I have some real food?” my five year old boy yelled in my face one morning as we were getting ready for school. (We homeschool, but my children attend programs for homeschoolers two days a week.) I had no idea what my son was talking about.
“What?” I responded in my inside voice.
“Can I have some real food?” my son yelled again.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Carrots, broccoli!” said my child still outlandishly loud.
“You want carrots?” Little Jason nodded. “I don’t have any, but it’s time for school, and we need to go.” What was wrong with my child? He dejectedly grabbed his bag, and we headed out the door to “school.”
That evening when things were calm I asked him about the morning conversation. To which he responded that everyone else in his class takes healthy lunches except him. I was aghast. I wanted to get to the bottom of this. “Who told you your food isn’t healthy?”
“Eden.” (Another five year old in his class.) I cracked up.
“So what does Eden take for lunch?”
“Carrots….”
First of all, if I sent my son carrots, he would not eat them. Second of all, the lunches I send are plenty healthy as far as I’m concerned. I mean it’s not like I’m sending him sodas, chips and cookies for lunch. I do send food that I know he will eat, because I really hate food wasted.
“Healthy” peer pressure? He he. Or maybe he’s just trying to impress? Please, please tell me he’s too young for that!

This sounds like my 10 year old daughter. She will only take healthy food to school because all her friends comment on each others’ food. It’s great in one sense but if our food isn’t up to her standards… yowza.