Alex is a four year old child who has just sat down for dinner. He is comfortably sitting in his booster seat next to his three year old sister, Alicia. They are both eyeing the options that have been set out on the dinner table. His parents are deliberate about scheduling dinner for the same time every night. 6:00 sharp. Some nights this requires advance planning, such as putting food into a slow cooker in the morning, or prewashing and preparing vegetables. But because human bodies become accustom to eating at the same time, this has proven a valuable way to keep the evening routine running smoothly. When dinner time was sporadic, the children would get overly hungry some nights, making them extra grumpy, or not be hungry at all. And then this all managed to escalate into a nightmare of a bedtime.
On the table are a number of options for Alex to choose from. His parents were sure to make only one meal for the entire family, but to include a couple of things they knew everyone liked. So, in addition to the broccoli and chicken casserole, there are also some cut up oranges segments, some whole wheat bread, and cooked peas. Alex is most proud to see the oranges on the table, as he helped to cut them up with a plastic butter knife!
Once everyone is seated, they begin to serve themselves. Alex takes a scoop of the oranges, a slice of bread, and some peas. He does not take any casserole.
