The Dinner Cup

Scene
3 months ago, in our kitchen, 5pm.
Husband: "What are the kids having for dinner?"
Me: "Not sure. Lets see what we have"
Husband:  "Ok. What about leftovers?"
Me: "Fine, we have pasta bake or stroganoff. She likes both of those."
Husband: "OK. Pasta bake then. That should be ok... right? She will eat that right? Maybe if we make some broccoli too?"
Me: "ok that should work."

15 mins later little brother stuffing his face.

Miss P: "I'M NOT EATING THIS!!!!! THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANTED!!!
Me: "Well that's what is for dinner so just eat some of it and then you can have a piece of fruit."
Miss P: "No. Its not what I wanted."
Me: "Well what did you want?"
Miss P: "I don't know!"
Me: "This isn't a restaurant miss."
Miss P: "Well I am still not eating it."
Me: "Fine go hungry then."
8pm
Miss P: "Mummy I'm hungry."
Me: UGGGGGGGHHH!!
You get the idea.

Then a few weeks ago I had the idea! The idea that changed our lives. The Dinner Cup. We wrote down as many dinners as we could think of that she likes. Then we wrote them on little pieces of paper and put them in a cup and every 4-5 days she pulls a few out and decides with me which meals go on each day. Luckily they are all pretty much well balanced meals with veggies and protein and a few fun things thrown in. Most are things the grown ups like too so we can have family meals together.
Then I go shopping. Simple as that. No really.
Not once since we started doing it have we had any argument. Not one. And second dinner is a thing of the past. It is brilliant and I wish I would have thought of it sooner. I am thinking of implementing a dessert cup too. The idea being that we can put actual dessert in with fruit and cheese and eliminate that argument too.
I should say that for years she has been a wonderful eater and this issue had come to the surface in the last year or so. All we can figure is she is the type of kid that needs some control over the little things. By no means does she run the kitchen. We came up with the meals together they include things like meatloaf and veggies, vegetable risotto, chicken cutlets with broccoli and homemade pizza.
Tonight we are having lettuce cups and fried rice. Yum.

This is our dinner cup... it just happens to be this fancy cup we had hanging around