“Happiness is a bowl of warm soup.”
WHEN someone in the family has a cold and no appetite for food, I usually prepare some hot soup and serve it to them in one of these happy faced bowls for I believe that these bowls can somehow condition their minds to make them feel better and lighter.
Incidentally one of my sons is not feeling well right now - not from any physical illness, but from a bruised soul. I knew it was an Icarian move he was taking, but he refused to be stopped. And how could I prevent him from following what he perceived was the right decision for his future? He is of age, way past his teens, and as the law says - emancipated.
Anyhow, as I was cleaning the cupboard the other day, and as I took out these happy bowls to get washed, I thought of the times when I would heat up a bowl of soup and give it to him whenever he had a cold. Almost instantly, he would be relieved with the steam from the hot soup which apparently helped unclog his stuffy nose.
How quick and simple it was to cure an ailing child. Sadly however, life’s twists and turns get more complicated in time and for my son, I know it will take more than a bowl of soup to heal his wounded wing.
* * * *
Flashback
When my two boys were little, they - particularly Marco - could be very picky with their food. And as a mother wanting to give her children proper nourishment during their formative years, I would employ different tactics in order to make them eat right.
One of the tactics which was quite successful was telling them kiddie stories that I invented as they ate. However, since it was really difficult to make them sit down before the dining table and eat by themselves, I would spoon feed Aypee while the househelp would attend to Marco.
Me: (In a highly animated voice) And the lion roared so loud it frightened the other animals in the jungle. The mighty lion screamed at them: “Everyone should eat, do you hear?” And all the other animals were so afraid of the King Lion.
Marco: Then what happened, Mama?
Aypee: What’s their lunch?
Me: Oh, they had lunch just like this one you are having right now. Vegetables, fish, rice.
Aypee: (Now holding his toy airplane) They drank milk too?
Me: Oh, yes! They drank milk and nobody in the jungle was allowed to sleep until they have drunk their milk!
Marco: (Now assembling Lego blocks) They also take Nutroplex? (Nutroplex is a daily multi-vitamins for kids)
Me: Yes, of course. Okay, now, open your mouths and eat some more, so the King Lion won’t roar.
Sometimes, I would pretend that we were in the jungle:
Me: Come on, come on - eat this now. Look - the King Lion is watching. Open and show King Lion your big mouths.. That’s it.. aahh… amm! Very good!
And so it went on and on until the last morsel was gone from their plates. Whew!
I chuckle as I remember those yesteryears’ scenarios when we would follow them around at feeding time from the dining to the living room and even to the bedroom. Yet I held on to dear Patience because the whole feeding process sometimes took two hours!
Some years later when my daughter arrived to the scene, I did not have to use the same strategy anymore to make her finish her food. Gem as a toddler was a more disciplined eater. I could make her have her meals on the dining table. No qualms. She would use the spoon and fork on her own, and refused to be spoon fed. All I had to do was prepare her food on a plate or a bowl, position her in her high chair and she would then voluntarily feed herself.
Oh, memories just keep flooding my mind these days…
Those are lovely bowls!! I’d love to have soup served in them anytime. I’ll give you a shout-out when I’m sick ha
You’re “feeding routine” is so similar to the one we had. Take note ha, “had”. I used to employ the “airplane with no battery” approach. Namamatay na yung eroplano kaya dapat mag-landing na sa bibig. Naku, it gets them everytime. Ngayon problema ko, hirap patigilin kumain. Dapat laging may battery yung airplane para wag munang mag-landing. hahaha
I hope your son will get over his dilemna soon. But then again, with you around, I’m sure it will be sooner than later
Hopefully he will get over his dilemma soon. Bruised soul; all of us comprehend what does it feel and it takes time to heal.
By the way, love those bowls. Really nice and it made me smile too.
(:
I love those bowls! Where’d you get those? I want some for myself.
I would definitely feel better just looking at those happy faces.
Hope your son feels better soon.
No problem, Kongkong! I’m just an email away.
Katuwa ang experiences nating mga nanay, ano? When it came to mealtimes, I was like a clown for my kids - iba ibang tricks ang ginagawa para ma-entice silang kumain.
Oh, I can see your daughters are ‘malusog’ na nga. hehe. Glad they have passed that ‘picky’ stage when it came to food.
Thanks! He’ll be fine, I’m sure.
Truly, Kyels. All of us pass that stage of wounded wings and broken souls. But as long as we try to get over it immediately, we’ll be bouncing back in no time.
Thank you, Kyels.
Hi, Irene! Those bowls I bought in one of the local supermarkets here in our place. They are very cheap, actually.
I believe in the conditioning of the mind. Creating pleasant atmosphere around when you are down and blue can surely lift up the spirit, di ba?
Thanks, Irene.
sort of like chicken soup for the bruised soul
cute bowls, smiley sya
I guess you’re right, Tutubi.
Thanks. They’re what remain of my salvaged collections of bowls and mugs. The others are now resting in pieces. hehe.
I can appreciate what you are saying. We parents won’t mind the song and dance routine just to make our kids eat hehe
Parents are always concerned about their kids health
although many say - let them play and they’ll eat when they’re hungry ! I guess this concern is still there even when they’re a lot older now
BW, ay talaga - sometimes I would be like a clown just to make them eat. hehe.
Every parent should be concerned with proper nutrition of their kids because it’s during their formative years when they start building their immune system and resistance against diseases. So I really don’t adhere to the idea of feeding children what they want. Instead, they should be fed what they have to be fed. It’s only a matter of creativity, of enhancing food flavors and of course - of incorporating certain approaches to make them eat the right foods.
Incidentally, my mother-in-law also have those bowls, she gave me the matching cups
your daughter remind me of my toddler, I just give him his food on his table and he’ll sit and eat, trouble is he doesn’t like the greens!
It was fun reading your anecdotes - aural and visual stimulation pala ang technique mo. It reminded me of my eldest niece. When I was reviewing for the bar in Manila, her mom would bring her over to cheer me up but I had to pay: each time she had her meals, she would ask me to join her because I would be “Peter Wobbit” … naku, I had to act out Peter Rabbit like a ventriloquist because we had to pretend that Peter Rabbit was hiding somewhere, urging her to eat. It helped her and it was also a way for me to destress.
Happy Halloween to you!
P.S. A cousin gave me a stress-ball that looks exactly like the blue bowl of happiness. That’s why when the page was just loading, I thought you were going to write about the stress ball.
wooowww happy bowls… even u pour them very hot soup they won’t make a sad face hehehe
Did you notice that the more active the kid is the harder it is to feed them? They just can’t sit still for even one minute to finish their meal. But what do I know? I have yet to experience feeding one, haha.
i haven’t seen those bowls here in the US otherwise I would get them.
they are beautiful! i would definitely feel good eating in those bowl
hope your son feels better.
Pining! Wow, we have the same happy face bowls/cups. hehe
If your son doesn’t like greens, you can probably camouflage them by incorporating them in other dishes. I used to do it in ‘torta’ (omelet) form.
Peter Wobbit ka pala ha, Tita Bugsy. hehe.
Don’t things like happy face bowls or balls or even fridge magnets somehow help in de-stressing us? It’s like - thinking of happy things and times when feeling down, di ba.
Happy Halloween too!
Hahaha! That made me laugh, Kneeko! Oo nga naman - di ko yun naisip a - kahit lagyan ng mainit na soup ang happy bowl, di pa rin sisimangot. lol!
Naku, Sngl, you are so right! My two boys were so hyperactive when they were little and won’t sit in one place for more than three minutes!
Well, I hope that soon - you will be experiencing feeding a child na! As I said, ninang ako. hehehe.
These happy bowls are quite therapeutic, indeed.
Thank you, Belle!
hmmmm. chicken sopas is my specialty. hope I could share a bowl of my own-cooked sopas with you. sometimes, whenever i am stressed, i unwind in the kitchen, but i prefer cooking than eating. have a nice day rhodora.
This is a wonderful post Rhodora! Great memories when the kids were still young. Where did you get those happy bowls? I remember we used to drink Royco soup from these Pop-Eye bowls which I think were free from Nescafe.
Sometimes young adults, especially one as sensitive and as angsty as Marco (what can you expect, he is a writer like you), have yearnings in their heart which we cannot hope to fathom. ow. We just have to understand, to be patient, to be always there for him, to come only when summoned and only when. He’s an intelligent boy who may be a little confused. I have the feeling he will find his way again back to simple joys.
“Our children are not our children. They are the products of life’s longing for itself. “
My mom used almost the same strategy in “forcing” us to eat while so little, like the spoonful of rice and vegetables were airplanes that need to be caught by our mouth—it was a bit surreal.
Nowadays, I am really concerned that my kids ain’t really so keen at eating, very little talaga. I guess all children are like this.
Maybe, I should try your tactics, like my mom also did—why I haven’t thought of that in the first place?
Hi, Lawstude!
Now you make me crave for your chicken sopas! Well, Cabanatuan is not very far from Dagupan. hehe. So just holler if you need someone to taste test your cooking.
Thanks, Toe. I tend to reminisce a lot these days - sign of aging na talaga.
Oh, I know those Popeye bowls. And Royco soup. Oh, I’ll never forget my fave alphabet soup!
Oh, Anna - indeed! “Our children are not our children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. They come through us, but not from us.”
Kahlil Gibran couldn’t have said it in a better way.
As I said, Major Tom - we need to be extra patient and learn to clown around just to make the little ones eat properly. Nutrition at an early stage is a must for kids! Hope you will find a feeding tactic that will work well.
awwww…you remind me of my father. He wasn’t a storyteller but his face tells a lot of stories if you know what I mean. If he says “eat your veggies”, the look on his face is enough for me and my sibs to eat the veggies without complaints. Of course a glass of water always come in handy when this happen. I hate veggies so what I do is to swallow the whole thing without tasting or chewing…good thing I didn’t choke hehe
Hoping for the best for your son.
Naku, Verns, I’m not much of a veggie eater either, but I force myself to eat them. And you know what - my father is like your father - veggie lover. Up until now, my dad who is 87 years old already - always has a veggie dish every meal. His favorite is saluyot and talbos ng kamote.
Thank you, my dear.