During the week, while Jessica is at work, I need to make the boys lunch every day. We have a standing rule that we will not have the same thing twice in the same week (with the exception that we usually get pizza on Friday, and we usually have pizza on Mondays too).
The second rule we follow is that each boy gets to pick what they have for lunch one day, with Asher getting Monday (or the first day of the week, so if Monday is a holiday, he picks on Tuesday), Levi on the second day, and Jude the third. I’ll pick on the fourth day, and on a normal five-day week we’ll usually get or make pizza on Friday.
Jude has been whining lately that he doesn’t really get to pick on his day because he’d pick pizza if he could, but the first rule precludes that because Asher always picks pizza. Levi usually picks chicken patties (he likes the patty, like a big chicken nugget).
Normally if I can easily make two different things at the same time, I’ll give them flexibility. Chicken patties can be made easily at the same time as nuggets, strips, drumsticks, or fish sticks; so I’ll usually let them all pick what they want specifically when I make that, Asher often opts for the fish sticks. They all go in the oven on the same pan for the same amount of time.
So how do you deal with a whiny nine year old who wants to pick pizza, but can’t because his brother already did? Well, you quietly ask him what he wants when you know he’ll say “pizza,” then go ask little brother the same thing. Both “get to pick,” not knowing they’re both picking the same thing on the same day. We get the same lunch, but without the whining.
Now it’s only a matter of wondering how long it will last until they figure out they’re both picking lunch on the same day?