The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Some nights when the kids ask me what’s for dinner, the answer is yo-yo. Yo-yo is short for you're on your own. My kids love yo-yo nights. It’s fun for them to choose what they will eat. I usually have on hand some of the following to choose from: leftovers, frozen items they could heat in the microwave, eggs, fruit, and fresh veggies. Any other food is also up for grabs. They know there are general guidelines such as not having dessert for dinner. The kids often get creative with their food. They can fix something weird because only they are going to eat it. Sometimes one of them will fix something that looks so good everyone else wants it too.

Yo-yo is obviously easier if your kids are old enough to fix their own dinner, but you could always have older kids help the younger ones, or ask dad to take care of this one. My husband is the only one who isn’t thrilled with yo-yo. He is not a cook at all and would rather have me fix a meal for him. So usually I’ll fix enough of what I’m having for him to have also. Or one of the kids fixes something for him. Otherwise it’s a win-win situation. I get a night off and the kids have a great time.

Yo-yo is something you can do as often or as little as you like. You can save it for occasional treats, or do it on a weekly basis. But if you’re not doing yo-yo at all, I definitely recommend giving it a try.

For more great ideas visit Rocks in My Dryer's Works for Me Wednesday.

Labels: homemaking tips