That old ploy...

Tonight at dinner we had a first. We ate spaghetti, garlic bread, green beans, and applesauce. As parents, Steven and I are pretty easy going when it comes to how much vegetables our kids must eat. For green beans, they must eat as least as many as their age. In Emma's case this typically means five. However due to her extreme dislike of green beans, (she eats other vegetables really well) Steven told her she must eat one and if she wanted another piece of garlic bread, she needed two more. A few minutes later she chirps "I ate one, Daddy, do I have to eat any more?" Steven said that if she wanted more bread than yes she did.

This time he happened to be watching her more closely and she failed to notice that Dad was watching her stuff her green beans under the edge of her plate, out of sight. It brought to mind the many times as a child that I sat at the table staring at a vegetable after everyone was done eating (usually cooked spinach or lima beans) in utter disgust, waiting for my parents to forget I was in the kitchen so I could put it in the garbage. I distinctly remember one time in particular that I stuffed a large amount of lima beans in the legs of the table and under my plate, feeling terribly clever all the while.

Steve was really good about not letting her see his amusement with her behavior and both of us continued to watch the drama with secret smiles. There was a lot of gagging and even a brief scraping of the tongue with a finger. Finally after a large drink of milk, the first green bean was consumed. She never did finish the other two, and also never got her second piece of bread. Tonight I think she was too tired to deal with more than the emotion she put into eating the first one. Kids are great.