During our recent trip to Disney World, we were eating dinner with some friends at the Italian restaurant in Epcot. I ordered the girls a bowl of spaghetti off the kids menu and like always, Greenleigh refused to eat, while Hazeline dove right in. I gave Hazeline a fork, but instead she dropped it and started eating with her hands. I figured that it was late and we had no other plans that night other than to go back to the hotel, so I decided not to fight it. As I ate my meal, I could hear Hazeline slurping her noodles off her fingers. The slurping eventually caught everyone’s attention, and we all had a good laugh at the child covered in spaghetti at the end of the table.
And all was well until my friend raised his phone to take a picture of Hazeline, completely covered in tomato sauce and noodles. I tried to fight it, but the words, “Don’t do that!” came flying out of my mouth.
Confession: I don’t want people taking pictures of my child covered in food. And that spaghetti covered baby that everyone thinks is so cute?
Not my kid. Thank goodness.
I don’t find cute at all. Well, not the food on their face. It’s messy. It’s sticky. It’s dirty. And all I want to do is hand the child a baby wipe. Or give them a good, long bath…with a loofah, a scouring pad, and whatever soap I can find.
Of course, the picture above, or something resembling it, is what you get when you give a baby or toddler a bowl full of yummy, sauce covered noodles, but really, do we need a picture of it? I think not. Well, not when it comes to my kids. And yet, it seems to be the picture everyone wants to see. As a new mom, I was told numerous times to get a picture of Greenleigh eating spaghetti, because they are so cute when they wear their food. Um, no. Absolutely not. There isn’t one picture of Greenleigh covered in food (of any kind) in her baby book. And even if such a picture of Greenleigh existed, which it doesn’t, I would never post it to Facebook.
It’s just that I work so hard to keep my kids clean and presentable – that’s how I want people to remember them. Why on earth would you want to take a picture of my kids at their dirtiest? Why is this picture so cute to people? What am I missing here?
In the end, I told him he was welcome to take the picture and post it to Facebook as long as he didn’t tag me in it. He agreed. Crisis averted.
So what do you think – most adorable picture ever? Or not so cute? Is there one of these spaghetti pictures in your child’s baby book?
My son is two and I take a picture of him covered in spaghetti every single time he eats it. I think it is hysterical. Obviously when he’s bigger it won’t be funny, but for now it is. I don’t think it means your child is dirty. They are a child. Kids get dirty. It happens.
Wow… that sure is messy. I remember when my cousin would wear her pasta on her head, everyone would find it adorable her mom just found it a bit gross so I guess you aren’t alone!
I love messy eating photos of my son… I like how he has grown and can use it for torture when he’s a cranky teenager, LOL
Dining out with kids is quite the adventure.
Karen – I like the way you think! Although I’m still going to refrain from taking messy eating pictures of my child, I can definitely see the torture perspective. Hold on to those for the first time he brings a girl home or maybe a slide show at his wedding? LOL
The picture really is adorable but the clean up for mommy…well…not so fun. =/
It is so cute! But a pain to clean up after, so there’s that.
I don’t see what’s wrong with taking pictures of a messy kid. If it’s a random kid, that’s one thing, but your own kid or a niece/nephew? No problems.
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