It seems though that maybe, just maybe, we are overfeeding our kids. Big surprise, right. We are a nation of super-sizing. Maybe our warped minds are just trying to get too much food down our kids' throats and we need to do some portion control.

Recently, a teacher told me she had been talking to parents about the importance of serving their children organic food at school. The parents adamantly disagreed. Their reason? "We don't want our kids to be snobs."

Sometime around 5:30 every evening, the four of us huddle around a $25 plastic folding table to throw food and complain.

There's so much to enjoy about wonderful meals -- from eating well to learning the art of telling a great story -- that I consider it another important part of parenting.

You can't seriously try to take away sugar. That magical dust that dries up tears? How are we supposed to pass down our legacy of emotional eating if we can't train our children?

From the day you add solid food to your baby's mealtime mix, you can expect your child to throw it.

Family dinners are a practical, tangible way to send a clear message that you care about what is going on with your children and that they are part of a family.

It helps to have a sense of humor when eating with kids.

Parenting is amazing, sometimes hilarious and often difficult. Adjusting expectations so that the mini members of your dinner table eat what you're eating is a natural way to make life easier.

But I'm no employee. Cooking for my family isn't a job I can resign, any more than I can resign as my (mostly) sweet little boy's mom. Plus, he's 5. Harry's not the one who needs to make conscious changes; I am.

I can take all those little plastic bowls and cups from Ikea out of my cupboards, I guess. It's a whole new parenting enchilada, this 'tween/teen thing.