This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Flowcharts for Mealtime
Aug
2
2011
Some of you may have ignored this post when you saw that the title contains the word flowchart. But that would mean that you’re not reading this, so why am I bothering to explain that?
Here are two flowcharts that document how we possibly handle things here in our family. “Things” being the two most commonly-asked questions at dinner: May I be excused? and Can I have dessert?
Since one of the guidelines for good parenting is to be consistent, I thought it might help to have a flowchart to answer those questions. That way, we can be consistent. After a while, since Alpha and Beta can read, they won’t even need to ask us those questions anymore – they will just consult the flowchart and act accordingly. Repeat that enough, and they won’t need the flowchart.
Print these and tape them near the dinner table, and let me know how it goes.
Transcript (although it’s hard to type a flowchart in plain text) :
Start
Did you eat your vegetables? (No – go eat your vegetables)
Did you eat some meat? (No – go eat some meat)
Is there food on your chair near the floor? (Yes – pick it up and throw it away)
Did it make it in the garbage can? (No – pick it up and throw it away)
Start
Is it your birthday?
Did you already have dessert?
Did you eat enough food at dinner? (No – go eat some more food)
And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.
Luke 9:17
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 11:51 pm and has been carefully placed in the Life category.
August 3rd, 2011 at 7:32 am
Love it!
August 4th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
I actually read this post BECAUSE it had the word ‘flowchart’ in it.
I love these useful nuggets of wisdom.
It’s like you’ll be parenting my kid by proxy.
You should be proud of yourself.
August 4th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
LFMF – learn from my fatherhood
August 30th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
Just what we needed! Except our dessert flowchart would need “did you take your vitamins?”