The Trouble With Starting Them On Sushi When They're Little

Our first "going out" meal with the college kids this break was their choice and, without a doubt, the choice is always sushi. I'm writing this today because sushi has always been significant to us on New Years Eve. 

We thought, as parents, since we loved sushi, let's take our little kids to the Sushi House with us so we can get our fix. We started this snowball rolling 15 years ago when they were 3 1/2 and 6 years old.  They're tastes back then trended toward chicken teriyaki and cucumber rolls (manageable for a young couple). What we didn't realize is we were creating sushi fiends and, that down the line, our wallets would take a huge hit!

Believe it or not, there were other insane families in our neighborhood that groomed their young kids to have the same form of distinguished palates as ours. This began a tradition that lasted many, many years as our New Year's Eve celebration.

When they were grade schoolers, a major highlight of the holidays was going out for sushi (table for 14) then cosmic bowling (black lights and neon) to ring in the new year. The evening's attire was always PJ's...even to dinner!  Suburban Bowl was a "hot spot" these nights with kids ordering loads of fries, we a few pitchers of beer, and lots of gutter balls. The bowling alley knew the deal and rang in two sets of the new year; one at 11:00pm and the other at midnight. This was perfection as the kids would start to crash and burn just prior to 11 from the over stimulation of bowling in neon.

We, as parents, created this life long desire and expensive habit for our children. Instead of crack, they crave Dragon Rolls! You might call them addicts of a sort. I have heard them make plans with these childhood friends to meet for sushi, discuss the best sushi restaurants on their university's campus and which delivers to your dorm or apartment! Now when we're out at any of our local places, we usually run into one of the 14 from the original NYE sushi club, dining in or picking up.

Today, being NYE, we are doing sushi for lunch. The kids have plans for tonight and so do we. I'm sure they figure the old folks will spring for their fix and all they have to do is join us...easy enough. It benefits both sides and we couldn't be happier!