With kids, you pick your battles. There is just too much the little trouble-makers do that if you harped on everything, you'd have no time to breathe.
The Battle I picked last night was 'Eating what is on your plate'. I do not run a short order kitchen. I do not make 3 different meals. I do try and cook food that at least 2 out of 3 people living in this house will enjoy. Little J decided that he didn't want to eat the hamburger he asked for. Suddenly he was allergic, and the hamburger was too chewy. After listening to Mr. Whiney-Butt complain about his dinner long after his daddy and I were already finished, I decided to bring out the big guns
I got mad and uttered these words
... You will NOT leave the table until you eat all your hamburger!
I had just broken the cardinal rule of parenting. NEVER, EVER, NEVER challenge your child over food. They are stubborn little beasts and no matter how strong you think you are...you WILL lose. I wish I had the will-power of a pre-schooler in a tantrum.
We had tears, we had all out hysterics, we had pleading, we had drama. I moved him into the kitchen, nothing to distract him, no one to talk too. He sat there for HOURS! All he had to do was eat some hamburger and he would be excused. Do you think he did?
Hell No!
He was falling asleep in his chair but still refused to eat.
And then it happened. Mommy caved. Yes folks, the Little Darling won. 3.5hrs of listening to him wore me out. It was bedtime so I excused him and sent him straight to bed.
And what lesson did it teach? That next time he only has to avoid eating the hamburger for 3.75hrs before being excused. Today it's hamburger, tomorrow it will be tattoos and curfews. Some days I suck at this parenting gig. I can only pray that I don't turn him into a psychopathic serial killer. Then I'd really feel like crap.
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ohhhh power struggles suck!
ReplyDeleteyou crack me up with your stories!
The whole food power struggle is something I think about a lot. We're not quite there yet, but it's coming. I have absolutely no experience to back this up, but I can't help but think that backing down on food doesn't mean you'll be giving in on stuff like tattoos and curfews. And I definitely don't think it means you suck at parenting, it just means you're normal.
ReplyDeleteaww dont beat urself up over it. im the same way with my mom and im 23 years old.lol. i refuse to eat some things and i know she'll give in eventually and rescue me from those god awful vegetables and remove them from my sight. but anyways, i turned out ok. i think. i dont have any tattoos and stick to my curfew. so your fine.
ReplyDeleteThey are stubborn little beasts aren't they!
ReplyDeleteI know where you are coming from. They need to hire those little buggers for contract negotiations. We could have peace in the middle east if we just a couple of kids at the table.
ReplyDeleteThat is so Mommie Dearest wire hanger that I love it. It happens to everyone at some point I am sure(says the childless woman, Mary).
ReplyDeleteNo, he will not turn into one of those guys who shoots up the McDonalds. He won't like hamburgers enough to pick that location.
~Mary
Aww thanks for the support guys!
ReplyDeleteIt just sucks to be outwitted by a 4 year old.
I don't want him to be one of 'those' people who only eats like 4 different things
*cough, like my husband cough*
But just in case he does shoot up the local McDonalds in 12 or so years, I'm starting his bail fund now.