The War of the Wills
Friday, January 6, 2012 at 1:52PM (From Angie Mabry-Nauta)
The battle lines were drawn at the Mabry Nauta family dinner table. Our youngest daughter, Zoe, who had for most of her short life been our good eater, refused to eat her dinner. "I don't like this!" she whined. Eric and I had long agreed that our children must learn to eat a variety of foods, namely those that have nutritional value. This would be, however, the first time to apply our strategy. A look of edification shared between parents, a simultaneous deep breath...and we have lift off!
Eric and Me: Zoe, we understand that you don't want to eat your dinner. We won't force you to eat it, but you will eat it. It's important for your body to have different types of foods so you can be healthy and grow strong. If you don't eat this tonight, it will be served to you for breakfast. If you don't finish it at breakfast, it will be your after school snack. If some of this is still on your plate come dinner tomorrow night, you'll be given it first. We're happy to feed you additional food after you have eaten this.