An endangered species.

(Joy the Baker* cookbook)

I have a confession to make.

No, it isn't that I watch Keeping up with the Kardashians

or Toddlers and Tiaras.

 I am not here to admit to waxing my upper lip...

 Not quite yet, anyhow.

I am not even announcing to the world that I am knocked up with Michael Jackson's love child 

because he isn't really dead; he is actually living in our back shed.

(If that was true, I'd be selling my story to the world;
 not posting it here on this insignificant, little blog)

But what I am owning up to is the fact that I feed my kids dessert. Every night.

Yep. I said it. It's out there.

Dessert. Every. Night.

 I am hanging my head in shame right about now,

because from what I have seen and heard,

dessert isn't "the done thing".

Pudding seems to be a dirty word these days.

We are too busy trying to bring our children up

with balanced diets, active bodies and an oh-so-healthy attitude to their future well-being

to whip up a bread and butter pudding or make a jelly trifle.

Dessert here is mostly yoghurt and fruit.

(A home made yoghurt at that.

Does that earn me back any cred at all?)

But I will own up to a love of baking.

I do love making the kids a nice custard

and I really enjoy baking some of those old-fashioned puddings

that I grew up with.

I don't feel like I have a lot of childhood rituals from growing up

but flicking through the CWA cookbook or my nans' recipes,

making that lovely rice pudding that they made...

it gives me a sense of comfort and happiness.

(Even the word pudding is just such a yummy word)

There aren't any "starving children" chats attached to main course.

There are no "if you don't eat every last leaf of those brussel sprouts

you are trying to hide under your mashed potato,

you wont get icecream" comments attached to a frown and a waggling finger.

We know, as modern, trying-to-be-switched-on parents,

that creating an unhealthy attitude to dessert-type foods is just not on.

We will ask the children to try new foods

but we don't force them to eat things that they don't like,

just so that they can have a treat.

I remember being forced to eat foods that I detested,

just so that I could have the bowl of yummy sweet stuff at the end.

I still grew up detesting every vegetable apart from potato till I was about 24 years old

and I certainly grew up with an excessive interest in (some might say obsession with) sweet food.

We will discuss how hungry they are

with regards to finishing their main meal.

I know that one argument that is in our favour:

That if kids aren't deprived of something,

they wont grow up desperately craving it and over indulging.

We are all doing the best that we can as parents

but sometimes I wonder if we are failing our kids by giving them that second (sweet) course each evening.

I certainly don't feel comfortable volunteering this information

at any mum meet-ups now that I have worked out that I am in the minority,

likely to be socially cast-out at the first mention of "self-saucing".

*Joy the Baker is my current girl crush.
I have foregone Dita Von Teese's style and glamour
for Joy's use of butter and sugar.