Mrs. Clean vs. Meal Time

I always wondered how my mild, undiagnosed case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) would affect my role as a parent. Sure, I pick up Alex’s toys and store them in their assigned bins every time he goes down for a nap. Sure, all his onsies have their own stack based on size, color, sleeve length and the amount of banana stains. And sure, his jars of baby food are organized in rows (5 deep and 2 high) and by type (veggies, meats and fruits) with labels facing forward. But none of these actions have a direct affect on Alex, and only maybe later in life will he have a memory of how his mother was “neat.” But then I started observing the eating behaviors of other babies and reading more of those “how to be a parent” books, and realized my behavior may be having an impact on his willingness and ability to eat table food.

Thus, since he is just weeks away from turning one, I needed to rethink meal time. It would no longer be about food quickly filling his tummy, and instead it would be a new exercise in physical development (ie. master the pincher grip) and an exploration in texture, taste and mother’s tolerance. So I threw all ambitions aside (poured a glass of wine) and set a bowl of lasagna on the middle of his high chair tray and walked away. At first his hunger outweighed curiosity, as the amount of food in his hair was less than that in his mouth. But then the adventure began, the mess grew and lasagna soon found its way onto everything within a 3 feet circumference of the high chair. Needless to say, his face, clothing and hands took most of the burden, but the floor, dog, and wall also fell victim to scattered mini noodles and red sauce.

This hour of so called “eating” was then followed by another hour of cleaning, bathing and laundry. I am beginning to think it is OK for him to be behind in some things … or at least until summer is in full swing and we can put Alex in the high chair on the deck with the hose in hand. Not that my OCD is limited to the indoors, buy my anxiety may lessen when I can count on Mother Nature to help me out with this mess.