"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
. ..
Chris wrote:

I had the choice of less messy foods back when it was just me and
my
first baby at home every evening at dinnertime because I didn't
cook
meals since they were just wasted, but now that I have a whole
family
to provide regular 3 meals every day to, what I make is it. lol. I
gave up on spending all of my time in the kitchen trying to ensure
everyone was happy, that as long as 2 out of 5 are, then that is
what
we are going with, and if you don't like it, then pick one of the
side
items I've served up that I know you do and fill up the best you
can
on that. lol.

How old is the little one? I have three, and I have to
say that we never had all that much trouble with meals being
*that* messy. I don't know if I have inordinately neat kids
(sure seems unusual given how they try to keep their rooms
now), or if maybe there's something you could do to encourage
neatness so that you don't have to do so much cleaning in the
first place.

I think some kids are just more ******* than others. My two never
made a mess under the chair, and there is nothing I really did to
encourage that. My son, however, at age 9 *still* makes a mess all
over the table around his plate! We've tried making rules for him to
follow -- swallow one bite before taking the next, hold your fork
still for a moment to see if anything drops off, don't "throw" food
towards your mouth, keep the plate right at the edge of the table, and
more -- but he's just not a careful kid. No matter how we try, he
still makes a mess. Now we're just trying to make sure he's in charge
of cleaning it up. *sigh*.

Bizby