"Feel the Burn, Love the Nope!"

Last night, I went all in on mac and cheese. My son’s obsessed with it. It’s his dinner favorite. I wanted it to be next-level awesome. I poured in extra cream. I plopped in more butter. I grated fancy cheddar like a pro. I stirred that pot like I was on Chopped. Then, oops. I got distracted. The bottom of the pan scorched. Just a bit, but enough to make me wince. I scrambled to save it. More cheese. A dash of salt. It looked okay, so I served it up, holding my breath.

My daughter dove in. “Mom, this is so good!” she said, noodles practically dancing on her fork. I puffed up like a proud chef. Then my son took a bite. He scrunched his face. “It tastes like bread,” he said. Bread? My soul took a hit. I’d slaved over this, and he’s calling it bread? My ego wanted to go full drama queen- dei, I used half a stick of butter! Appreciate me! I shined a flashlight on my ego, and it shrank. I said, “Hi, ego, there you are.” When I took a deep breath, my calmer side kicked in.. You burned it. He’s allowed to not like it, even though if he didn’t like it, he can say no. I bit my tongue and let it go.

Then my son hit me with those big, curious eyes. “Are you sad I don’t want it?” he asked. I froze. This kid just read me like a book. I took a deep breath. “Yeah, buddy, I’m a little sad,” I said. “I burnt it a little.My bad. I tried hard to make it awesome. I thought you would like it. But it’s okay if you don’t like it.” He poked at his plate, thinking. They’re like tiny mirrors, showing you your burned pasta and your bruised ego.

That night wasn’t just about a dinner flop. It was about letting my son know his feelings matter. He didn’t like it? Cool, he can say no. I burned it? Yup, my bad. By owning it and not making him feel bad, I showed him it’s okay to speak up. Parenting’s messy, like a kitchen after a cheese explosion. But these little moments—burned mac and all—teach kids they’re safe to be themselves. Tomorrow, I’m sticking to cereal. Less chance of a crisis. Lol 😆.

#feeling #AwarenessMatters #ego #acknowledge

Sangeetha