May 7, 2012

The Trial Of His Young Life …

Woe.

Is.

Me.

Hello again world.  I’m back and today I’m giggling at the fact that I actually caught this moment with Owlie on my camera. Because seriously, what kind of good parent am I if I don’t take pictures to bribe my kids with later in life?

Owlie has decided that he is completely opposed to veggies. Will. Not. Touch. Them. Makes faces.  Stomps his feet. Cries emphatically that he “no likes them”. Runs away. It’s a riot.

Last week everyone had a scoop of ice cream for dessert except for the owl man.  He needed to eat a green bean first. One little green bean. He sat at the table for a long time.

We all went for a walk. Then we came back.  The green beans sat uneaten on the counter.  The ice cream had made its way back to the freezer.  But oh! how badly he wanted some.  So we tried the green beans one last time.

This series of photos was the result. The little man deserves an academy award. He was pulling out all the stops:  crocodile tears, runny nose, bottom lip rolled down, wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth, wailing in a mournful manner.

And I could tell I’d learned so much from parenting the first three, because instead of feeling uptight and frustrated, I just sat there and laughed while snapping pictures. Until he ate one and then promptly spit it directly in my face.

And that was the end of that.

Tell me, do your kids eat veggies?  How do you get them to do it? I’m looking for some success stories to propel me to action.

PS. I’ll be back to blogging this week, but in abbreviated form. The Food Drive has reached a fever pitch and is my second top priority.  Getting my kid to eat veggies is my first. Winkety wink.

15 comments:

Heather L. said...

I adore these pictures!!! Too sweet!

I hope you gave him some ice cream anyway. He's too cute not to! I say this after having my fifth child, who was a HUGE surprise "late" in life (I'm 40 and he just turned 3 - my other kids are 21, 16, 13 and 8). He is SOOOO spoiled and I am sure I'm a terrible mom, but I can't resist his little face =)

TracyS. said...

I love those pictures. He is hilarious. James, age 11: favorite way to eat green beans: wrap them in a paper napkin to disguise the flavor. Then place the "package" in the mouth. Chew, swallow, throw up. Yeah- it's awesome.

Apis Melliflora said...

I always liked the spinach in the smoothies idea. Problem is my kids don't like smoothies. So wrong, I know.

I'm just assuming that my picky eater will come around to relatively normal eating habits like her brothers.

Life without avocados, asparagus, arugula, artichoke and all the veggie alphabet that follows would be sad indeed.

The Queen Vee said...

It's so hard to eat those three nasty green beans; life can be just so stressful and challenging for a little guy.

The drama, he has no choice mom it's in his genes.

Janie said...

Oh the memories this post brought brought back. I've heard some of the Mom's now puree the veggies into cookies, cakes, treats of all sorts and the kiddo's aren't aware they're even there. Food for thought. . . Love your posts Samantha!

Tobi said...

Princess is morally opposed to broccoli. I use sweets as a brive to get her to eat them. Love the pouty faces the Owl Man was throwing out. He knows how to work it!

Margy said...

My Tyler ( turning 2 yrs in 2 weeks) refuses to eat any veggie or protein (except meatloaf oddly enough)...so, I make a lot of pasta/lasagna dishes, and add a lot of veggies to the sauce. Not so good for my hips, but it's the only way I can get any in him!

AllisonK said...

These photos are PRICELESS!!! Seriously made me laugh and think back to each of my children. I think you are wonderful. We used this strategy with our children and I found myself quite surprised last night at dinner when I insisted everyone eat a serving of zucchini before dessert and there were only minor grumblings, but the zucchini was all gone. It was pleasantly shocking.

Hang in there.

Aiketa said...

This post made me think of the long hours I sat in front of my meal when I was a little girl and didn't like what I was given. I specially remember that I didn't like paella, and every Sunday for lunch there was paella... and my parents didn't let me leave the table until I had finished everything in my dish... and by the time passing, the rice was getting worse and worse... But now I like paella!

The pictures are precious.

MelancholySmile said...

We've always had success with broccoli. They pretend that they're dinosaurs eating tiny trees. ;) we also have a rule in our house that they have to try one bite of everything-- and our mantra is "picky eaters are always hungry". Good luck! And that Owlie is adorable.

Anonymous said...

Good luck in the veggie department. My daughter refuses to eat any and will starve before she eats one. She's declared herself to be a fruitarian because she eats fruit and not vegetables. I offer veggies, but not make a big deal if she doesn't eat them because she does eat a wide variety of fruit (grapefruit and pomegranates are her favorites). One day she'll eat veggies, again, and like it.

Janae

JulieB said...

Sooo awesome that you caught this on camera! What a face. :) I try not make a big deal about the veggie thing and just let my kids see me enjoy them and offer them every meal. I do make them at least try something before they have their fruit...but clearly that is not enough for Owlie!

Anonymous said...

Aww.

My big thing was too much milk. Milk is good but I'd fill up on it. So I had a one-glass limit for dinner and would get all upset. "But I'm so thiiirrsty!"

Unknown said...

My little guy loves green smoothies. He wants to eat whatever I eat. I hope he keeps it up.

lee kriel said...

Find comfort in you are not alone. We call them the "no thank you bites". Everyone has to have at least three "no thank you bites" of whatever food they don't like (mostly the veggies or a new food i have introduced) and this way they also learn to have manners so later in life when they really don't want to eat it, they will be polite....no thank you. ;)