I’m always curious how other families celebrate holidays. It wasn’t until I was in my early 30s, pre-kids, when I rented a farm for the summer that I started to celebrate Thanksgiving. Even though I don’t like cooking, I would invite my friends over for a big meal where we would laugh, share stories, and eat way too much.
My daughter Jessie has severe allergies. I still remember the first time she had a reaction to fish—the small bite of bland, white Tilapia on her plate suddenly became life-threatening. I fought to stay calm even though I was sure my heart was going to pound right out of my chest.
I cannot tell you how much it irks me when my daughter makes this excuse not to go to bed. It's not the bedtime ritual that bothers me. Rather, it's that sense of entitlement that she deserves to have dessert; that it's her "right" as a my daughter to be given sweets after dinner.