no matter how many times you ask, the answer never changes – you STILL have to eat your veggies!
Despite our best efforts to eradicate those tendencies toward pickiness our children seem to manifest from time to time, sometimes it’s just plain HARD to get them to eat their food! Although as they get older they do get better at this, our four year-old, Hannah, is especially challenging when she encounters something she just doesn’t want to eat. So, eating dinner the other night, it was no surprise when we had to coax, prod, beg, and threaten her with a lifetime of hanging by her toenails just to make her eat the carrots that seemed to linger on her plate well after the dishes were done and the rest of the family was off and about our nightly routines. But, FINALLY, against all odds, we were able to get those stubborn carrots off her plate and into her finicky little belly.
Or so we thought…
The next morning, Kim spotted two carrots on the floor beside her seat. She called Hannah into the room and asked her about them. Our four year-old insistently and quite passionately (for a four year-old) denied they were hers, insisting that she would never (at least purposely) toss her food onto the floor like that.
Kim, not believing her, went into the typical Christian parental mantra about the fact that, no matter what we may do, even by ourselves with nooooobody looking, GOD always sees, GOD always knows, GOD always judges the affairs of man with absolute, perfect justice. No matter if people seem to get away with their sin, they really, in light of eternity, never do.
On and on she went. It was quite a speech, actually, with a little of Milton, maybe a touch of John Bunyan mixed with the Gospel of John and a bit of Romans for good measure – worthy of something Jonathan Edwards probably would have used to leave his flock clinging to the pews for fear of sliding straight into hell. (Kim’s a Christian school teacher AND a mother of four, so coming up with a good lecture has never been a problem for her!)
Hannah listened with trembling trepidation. Just as Kim was sure she was about to tearfully confess not just the carrot malfeasance, but all the rest of her sins, and beg forgiveness from God and all men, Hannah looked up at her with those wide, doe eyes and asked in a slow, calculating voice…
“God knows… but, will He tell?”
Well written and entertaining article. You guys need an indoor dog – – they are more than happy to help children with any “extra” food, such as carrots, the kids would like to donate. Our dogs love carrots as a matter of fact. – Mike K.
Thanks! LOL maybe someday but right now we have a hard enough time cleaning up after the kids, much less dog hair!! 🙂