Before I had kids, Thanksgiving was a fairly relaxing holiday. I’d take my time baking over several days. There was no rush to get the turkey in the oven before everyone woke up. And after the main course, I’d kick back and watch a little TV to top off a great day. Enter toddlers.
Now our holiday looks a little less relaxed and more like this:
HURRY!
FIRE!
GRAB THAT!
DON’T TOUCH THAT!
HOT!
GET AWAY FROM THE TABLE!
WASH YOUR HANDS!
THAT’S A RAW TURKEY!
ARE YOU $#@*^!& KIDDING ME?!?
Any of that sound familiar? I think it becomes the universal background to any holiday household with children.
Here are some other ways toddlers change Thanksgiving:
- You become the multi-tasking queen: cooking, cleaning, potty training, wiping snot . . . it all happens simultaneously. Please wash your hands.
- The sight of a naked, headless bird sends your tot into a tantrum. Chasing them with the gizzards is optional.
- They question the turkey baster — how come the turkey gets that much medicine? And then they run!
- You bake with a wooden spoon in one hand and a screaming kid in the other.
- The buffet table becomes the barricaded table and is moved behind enemy lines — because all it takes is one tug on the tablecloth or the little acrobat climbing up the sides.
- You practically eat standing up, because they can’t sit down (or still).
- Clean-up goes from washing dishes and wiping things down to having to call in ServePro to steam clean the curtains and scrape dried gravy from the ceilings.
- Dessert changes from real Boston cheesecake to JELL-O cheesecake pudding. Bring on the candy sprinkles!
- You don’t bother giving them a leaf-adorned napkin. You ARE the napkin.
- Their genuine appreciation of the food and family makes the holiday even better. Little smiles and laughter are a holiday bonus.
Happy Thanksgiving!