It's What's for Dinner

There are some interesting things I’ve noticed since I started staying home with my son.  People are always making comments about how cute his curls are and how great his vocabulary is.  These things are true observations – He has these adorable little blonde curls and he can actually carry on a conversation with you by speaking in full sentences and responding to your questions with correct answers.   He is very social and loves to meet new children with which he can play.  He’s even began to have interactive play with some children (only those whom he likes) by kicking the ball to them with the expectation of them kicking or throwing it back.

All of those things are wonderful to see as a parent, but, of all of the things that he does to surprise me, the ones that amaze me the most, happen most often at the dinner table.  In the past, my son hasn’t really wanted (or been able to) eat whatever Simon and I might be eating for dinner.  However, several nights ago, he showed interest in the strangest thing.  We were eating salmon ravioli w/ steamed broccoli and he asks, “What’s that, Daddy?” and points to the broccoli.  Simon tells him “Broccoli.  Want some?”   He responds,” Yeah.”  (Yes, he responded with a “yeah”.)  So, Simon gives him a bite.  Thinking he wouldn’t want more we continue to eat ours and offer him the smaller bites of ravioli.  He then shakes his head no and say, ”Want more brocci, Daddy.”  Apparently, without coercion or bribery, my son decided (all by himself) that he likes broccoli.  He proceeded to eat approximately 10 toddler sized bites of Broccoli – some of which I had cleverly hidden some salmon.

This is just another in a list of vegetables that he prefers over the typical things that children eat.  Does he want a PB & J?  No sir.  He would rather eat baked beans.  Does he want the chicken strips with ketchup on them?  Nope.  He licks the ketchup off and then wants to eat his green beans (with butter, of course).  Most kids love mashed potatoes, right?  Not my son.  He prefers a baked sweet potato – with skin.  One of his favorite afternoon snacks is hummus…that’s right hummus.  Let’s not forget the enormous amounts of yogurt this little kid will eat.  I think he would eat it for every meal, if I let him.  I wish I could give Mom’s around the world some advice on how this has happened, but I have none.  Most parents with some success in this area will smugly say, “Oh, just don’t offer them the bad stuff and they’ll never know what they’re missing.”  That is not what happened in the case of my son.  He has tried all of those things that you “shouldn’t” give your child.  French Fries, check.  Potato chips, check.  Cookies, check.  White bread, check.  In fact, he asked for a chip at lunch just today.  He ate half of it then proceeded to break it up into little pieces to put into the back of his dump truck.  Instead of eating the chip he CHOSE to eat the grapes on his plate instead.  I suppose I have applied the same eating philosophy that I used while I was pregnant.  So, I tell myself, “Don’t eat anything that you wouldn’t give him a bite of.”  I offer him everything I would eat for myself.  Just because he isn’t in my tummy anymore, doesn’t mean that he won’t want to sit, stand or walk ON my tummy and to eat whatever it is that I’m choosing to munch.