The More They Whine, The Hungrier I Get

I love my kids - I really do.  They are such sweet little things who have helped me grow into the woman - and mother -  I am today.  They make me smile, laugh out loud, slow down, wonder and delight in the little things.  But they also make me eat. 

Let me explain.

The other day we took a family trip to the mall and, after shopping, my husband and I decided that it was time for us to pick the luncheon restaurant for a change.  No Chick Fil A.  No McDonalds.  No food court.  We wanted a sit-down meal with an actual server and cloth napkins.  Is that too much too ask?  So we ventured into PF Changs with our 6- and 3-year-old.  

Let's just say it was not the most relaxing lunch I've ever had.   The service was incredibly slow that day and it took all we had to keep the kids entertained.  Once the appetizers arrived, my daughter nibbled on one tiny piece of iceberg lettuce from the lettuce wraps (that she requested by the way) while my son attempted to eat one lonely grain of brown rice with a single chopstick - all the while whining that they were hungry.  "When are we going to the food court?"  

By the time our Mu Shu Pork arrived at the table, the kids were done.  Toast.  Ready to get the heck out of there.  As we're inhaling our food, my husband looks at me, a piece of Chinese cabbage dangling from his mouth, and says, "The more they whine, the hungrier I get."  

Hysterical as it was, he is so right.

My kids don't make me eat - no one can do that.  But eating is my coping mechanism.  And when things get too hairy, too overwhelming, too hard, that's what I do.  I eat to calm the anxiety.  I eat to quell the frustration.  I eat to make it all go away.  So when the kids are at an all time high with their whining or arguing or demands, I find myself ducking into that pantry closet for a little chocolate vacation.  And it is a vacation - for a minute.  But once that binge is over, reality is right there waiting for me.  

It's no different than any other addiction, really.  Of course, this means I need to replace this one habit with another, healthier one...  Hmm, that's a lot harder than it sounds.  I'll get back to you once I have an idea.  For now, I'm going to go deal with the fact that admitting this makes me want to go and eat.  I guess it's not just the whining that makes me hungry.