My kids don’t like to eat the same things. Moreover, my daughter is a territorial eater, which means she stubbornly wants to eat whatever’s on my plate even if she has the exact same foods on her plates. So, weekend breakfasts have always been a money sink for me. I order too much. Two bowls of noodles, only to have them chewing some strands. (I’m not exaggerating!) Or two plain pratas and two pratas with cheese, only to have them leave the table in a gooey mass.

Parenting is a catalyst for inculcating a learned helplessness attitude because you just don’t see how things can be different. But I thought I would try something different today.

First, I ordered kaya (coconut jam) toast for the kids. One slice per person. The daughter doesn’t normally like to eat bread, but I suspect she was surprisingly cooperative because her elder brother was chowing down on bread.

I waited for them to start eating and drinking their Iced Milo (Seriously, this cocoa drink is a lifesaver for all Singaporean parents!) before I ordered my carrot cake. Actually, the carrot cake is made of white radish, but Singaporeans grow up using ‘carrot cake’, so who am I to use the correct term? Anyway, both children don’t like to eat carrot cake.

The outcome was that both kids finished eating most of their bread - and that I got to tuck into my carrot cake in PEACE. This translated into little food wastage and a healthier wallet balance. I was able to spend less than $10 for once.

I guess you can tell that I’m darn proud of myself because 1) I don’t know if I can replicate this achievement next weekend, 2) a penny saved is a penny earned and 3) I felt absolutely in control, which - trust me - is a feeling that hapless parents don’t get to feel all that often over their fussy, demanding offspring.

Oh yes, both kids love their lion dance.