I was reading an old cookbook that I bought recently at a book sale. It is from the early 1950’s. In the breakfast section, there is mention of only a few cereals and it hit me that in my lifetime, we have gone from just a few basic breakfast cereals–to literally hundreds of flavors and versions–with plenty of marketing and salesmanship to go with it. It’s a conspiracy!
Now, what sort of conspiracy can diversity in dry cereal choices actually be, you ask? Well, for someone who has more than one child–okay, three children–I’m here to tell you that the chances of all three of those children wanting the same cereal are rather slim. If there was only the availability of a few choices–say those 1950’s choices of corn flakes, oatmeal and puffed rice (ick), then everyone would just have to get a grip and we’d all likely be eating the same cereal. But, with hundreds of choices, my kids have grown up with the luxury of being able to have “favorites” and the mandate to stomp their feet and demand their rights as cereal consumers of the Western world.
I remember when television sitcom “Seinfeld” used to be on, the lead character’s kitchen was home to at least a dozen boxes of cereal–all stacked like dishes across the top of the refrigerator. I know for a fact that my son would eat nothing but cold cereal if he didn’t have a nagging mother urging him to at least eat an egg or an apple once in a while.
When my children were younger, I tried the “everyone has to agree on the cereal we buy” technique and after some major stalemates in the cereal aisle, I gave that one up and have only my own memories of the pounding headaches and exasperated looks from other shoppers to share with other parents who are tempted to try it. The only rule I was able to stick with until my kids became old enough to garner their own junk food was the “no marshmallows or chocolate” rule when it came to our cereal purchases.
What’s a parent to do? It’s a losing battle really–we live in a society that is all about choice and abundance, and I think the conspiracy started in the cereal aisle!
See Also: The Family That Loses Things and Whatever Happened to Drinking Water?