It's the End Of the World...as I know it!

One of the many JOYS of being a parent is teaching your children how to eat healthy. One of the many difficulties of being a parent, is when the child in question (see below) doesn't agree with you on food choices!

Avery has always been a wonderful blessing in our lives. He is sweet, cheerful, smart, obedient, mindful, thoughtful, courteous of others and really fun to be around. He is non-confrontational and loves to share with others. I'm am such a lucky mother.

But there is one thing (among others) that makes me feel like a failure. And THAT is getting Avery to eat anything that doesn't include the following: Bread, tortillas, crackers, french toast, muffins, toast, fruit snacks, yogurt, peanut butter, jam, milk and juice, and occasionally a strawberry or two, and fruit smoothies. That being said. Most of his meals are P,B & J sandwiches, or toast with yogurt (some kind of pie flavor, that doesn't have any pieces of fruit in it) and milk and a couple of crackers.

Being a child who HATES ALL sticky foods. And carries a wash cloth around the house with him to wipe his hands and mouth and a moments notice. He has made a declaration that just about, no, scratch that....that pulled my world down around me. Can anyone guess what it was? Some of you already know this story...but humor me for a second, Because if you knew Avery like Ryan and I, you would know what a huge deal this was.

Today I made him the usual ( at his request of course!). PB & J sandwich with crackers and fruit snacks (He only gets one packet of fruit snacks a day. They are expensive, so I try to make them last a while.) Anyway....He sits down at the table and begins to dig in. First he dumps the fruit snacks out on his plate and discards the wrapper. They he counts each yummy, fruity flavored morsel. Proceeds to place one on each of his crackers, and starts to sing. I ask him, "Avery, aren't you very hungry?" And he replies, "Oh, yes mommy! Hoot Snacks and crackers SO yummy!" And then I say, "Well what about the yummy peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwhich?" And here it comes...are you all ready for this? I sure wasn't. He says to me, "I don't like the sayich mommy. Leelah (his word for Peanut butter) and Jam TOO sticky! Makes my hands all sticky, no like it mommy." He was so serious I didn't know what to think. I told him that there wasn't any oozing out the side, but he was adamant.

Now you ask yourself why I was so floored? It's because for the last 2 (give or take) years, that meal has been his favorite. And before you ask if I have offered him other options for meals...the answer is an astounding YES. I have worked so hard to make sure he has other options. He knows what he likes and he sticks to it. A creature of habit you could say. Well, he has changed all the rules of the game and left me with no clues as to how to get to the next level! AHHHH! Let me tell you, that I don't starve my child....He just refuses to eat anything that isn't the afore mentioned foods. So, now that he as pretty much refused to center piece of his menu, what do I do now! This is going to get tricky. He is a very picky eater and definitely keeps me on my toes. Tomorrow I will offer him cereal and a fruit smoothie for breakfast, and he will drink the fruit smoothie and be done because he isn't a cereal fan (unless he is at my in-laws because they have yummier cereal). This kid will go all day with out eating because he doesn't like what I'm offering...and then he comes to me and says, "mommy I'm hungry." and I offer him what he was offered before, and he says, "no thank you." and walks away. "At least he's polite," I will think to myself.

So here it is. My End of the World confession. It's a sad one, but it's true. Wish me luck in this new adventure. I just hope and pray that one day he will want to be just like daddy, and that it will include eating what his daddy eats. I can get Ryan to eat well, just not my strong willed, stubborn son! Good grief!

He sure is cute though. Showing off his treasured fruit snacks and crackers...he didn't really eat much...just played with his food.