I came back from BlogHer10 all fired up to do more good, post more often, write about really important things … and work with the ” serious ” bloggers to lobby for paid sick leave, etc.

But what happens? After struggling with my suitcase and swag up the stairs (the lift and the escalator were broken, thanks Metro!), it was 11.30 p.m. on a hot and sweaty DC Saturday night by the time I got home.

My husband had parked the car miles away, and I was hot and cranky and oh, so, tired.

Then I asked, because I am obsessive about food, “What did you give the kids for dinner tonight?”

He ummed a bit.

I pushed back.

So?

McDonalds.

Me: You gave them McDonalds two nights in a row?

Him: Er, um, yes. I was in a rush, I had to feed three kids in half an hour, they were all clamoring for McDonalds and I didn’t know what to cook.

And then I turned on a Hulk like rage. Toy out of kids happy meal

Then I lost it. All the loveliness, warmth and sisterhood of BlogHer went out the window. I screamed. When we got home, he ignored me and continued doing chores while I screamed at him from the couch.

My beef: I am a full-time working mom of eight year old boy twins. As well as holding down a full-time job, I write this blog, do some freelance occasionally, and cook dinners from scratch nearly every night.

It is my thing. I believe kids should eat wholesome, home-cooked meals where I control what they eat.

And you know what? There are many nights when I would desperately love to give them McDonalds, too. Hell, some nights I hate cooking dinner and I dread their responses when I try to feed them something new (you know I hate you Kashi really-good-for-you mixed grain whatever you are …)

But I want to reserve the right to feed them crap when I am tired. Just once or twice every few months. He made it hard for me to exercise my inalienable right to take the easy route once in a while. I feel driven to feed them properly this week when I really want to throw an old bone at them …

I was feeling bad, I was feeling defeated, I was feeling undermined.

Then I thought back on what Marie Wilson, longtime activist and the founder of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, said in the wrap up of BlogHer10.

She said, “Even if you don’t run for office, you (women bloggers) are leaders.”

It is true.

I am modeling the way every day by showing my kids:

• that real work matters,
• that real food is still important,
• that sitting down for dinner and talking is something worth persevering with and a joy that will last all your life (if you can t get past the dinners where kids spend their time laughing at who cut the cheese and burping.)

It doesn’t matter if we stray from the path from time to time.  It really doesn’t matter if our husbands, spouses, partners and loved ones thwart our goals from time to time.

The bigger lesson? Sometimes my work comes before you kids. Eat that …

It is realistic. It shows our kids that to make a difference sometimes their moms and dads will put work before their nutritional needs. That sometimes we will miss a school play. That sometimes we will decide that they’ve got to cope without us. That’s okay.

What matters is that we are still fighting for change …  one meal at a time  in my case.

P.S.  Now I really need to apologize to him, too. He works hard and does a lot around the house. The food is just not his thing.

More info: The Campaign for a Commerical-Free Childhood began a letter-writing campaign to ask McDonald’s to scrap its newest Happy Meal promotion, reports The Palm Beach Post. The campaign features action figures of Marvel comic book heroes like the Hulk pictured above.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts