Feeding the Grandkids When They Visit
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The grandkids are coming! The grandkids are coming!
Is there any sweeter anticipation for a long-distance grandparent than knowing the grandchildren are visiting soon? But let’s be honest, the amount of work and worry their visit brings can almost overshadow the joy. There are beds to make and babyproofing to do, activities to plan and car seats to install. At the top of the list of things to worry about is usually this: what to feed the grandkids for dinner. We’re here to help you cross that worry off your list.
Planning meals for grandkids
There are so many things to consider when planning meals for grandkids. You may be dealing with unfamiliar dietary needs, like family members who are vegan. Food allergies are common. Parents likely have definite ideas about what to feed their children. Grandchildren may not be adventurous eaters, preferring to stick with familiar foods.
Clearly, the first step in planning meals for your grandchildren’s visit is to confer with parents. Find out if any foods are on the forbidden list, so you can make sure you don’t include those in your plans. Ask for guidance on kids’ current tastes and preferences, which may have changed from their last visit (even if it’s only been a couple of weeks!).
Once you have all the information about what foods to avoid or include, you can put together a menu. List what you’ll serve for dinner each night, options for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. For kid-friendly recipes, visit websites like My Kids Lick the Bowl. Next, make a comprehensive grocery list. If it’s within parent guidelines, it can be a good idea to have a back-up box of macaroni & cheese or some frozen chicken nuggets on hand for emergencies.
Make mealtime memorable
When planning meals, think about how you can inject some fun into the process. Feeding the grandkids is an opportunity to create mealtime traditions. Have one or more meals that go beyond sitting around the table together. It could be as simple as cooking hotdogs over the firepit. Here are some other ideas:
Breakfast outing to a kid-friendly diner
Pizza and movie night
Dinner on a stick, where everything is served on toothpicks or skewers
Backwards dinner, starting with dessert and ending with salad (wear your clothes backwards, too!)
Picnic lunch at the park or beach
None of these suggestions are complicated or out of the ordinary. But if you do them visit after visit, year after year, they become something special. It won’t take long before your grandchildren ask when they get to have dinner on a stick!
Get your grandkids involved
Another thing the grandchildren will quickly look forward to is helping you with meals. The memories you can make in the kitchen are ones they will always cherish. Even toddlers can help set the table, decorate place cards, or stir the pancake batter.
Time in the kitchen together can be educational, too. You can teach skills like counting, measuring, and following a recipe. Perhaps the most important education, though, is the legacy you can share while cooking. Sharing stories about your family and recipes you love happens naturally when you are preparing a meal together.
Safety is key when you have young grandchildren in the kitchen. We covered the important points in Cooking with Your Grandchildren: A Guide for Cooking with Toddlers and Preschoolers. It can also be messy. One smart grandma completes some of the steps ahead of time. That way, when her three-year-old assistant arrives to make muffins, they can get right to mixing and stirring.
Time-saving tips for meals for grandkids
Even if cooking is one of your greatest pleasures, you may not want to spend all your time in the kitchen when the grandchildren visit. When you plan your menus, make sure to include some easy-to-prepare options. Some suggestions for cutting down on the cooking during the visit include:
Make a big batch of soup or chili that can provide lunch on more than one day.
Make waffles or muffins in advance, and pop them in the freezer.
Batch cook for the week. We love the cookbook A New Way to Dinner for this.
Prep for dinner before you clean up after lunch.
Get groceries, meal kits, or full meals delivered
A grandparent's role at mealtime
Sadly, parents report that meals with grandparents are often a source of conflict. You can avoid the dinner table minefield by keeping one thing in mind. Once the food is on the table, think of your grandchild as if they were an adult dinner guest. Granted, your adult dinner guests may have better manners. The point is not to do anything you wouldn’t do if it were someone from book club at your table.
Don’t insist everyone taste everything. Don’t make them finish their veggies. Don’t be insulted when someone calls your pasta yucky because it’s different than what they are used to. Don’t make comments about someone eating a lot, or barely touching anything. You may want to read What Grandparents Need to Know about Food Neutrality to learn more about current philosophies on feeding children.
Concentrate on the people and conversation around the table. Parents can handle the responsibility for what their children eat. If you can master this, you’ll find meals with your grandchildren far more enjoyable for everyone.
Meals for grandkids are an opportunity
While what to feed grandkids can seem like a problem, think of it as an opportunity. Mealtime is an opportunity for connection as you cook and eat together. It’s an opportunity for memories and traditions as you roast marshmallows over a fire. It’s even an opportunity for you to grow as a grandparent, as you learn to let parents take the lead at the table.
So many of our memories of our own grandparents happened around the table. What memories will you make for your grandchildren around your table this visit?
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