"YOU GUYS ARE SO MEAN!!"
In my 4 years and 9 odd months of parenting, this could possibly be my favorite story.
However, some back story is necessary.
Silas = picky. Silas can be slightly OCD about some things. Food + Silas = Disastrous. How many ways can I say it? Mealtimes can be exasperating if I feed Silas something he does not like. What does he like, you ask? Let me ask him now...
He says, "Rice, chicken, milk and pizza and broccoli and uhhh, cheese, bread and cheese (a.k.a. grilled cheese), hamburgers with no meat, pickles or ketchup, and those are my favorites. That's all."
Sadly, there's not too much more that I can really add to that list. He was like that from the beginning. It's kind of a long story, so I won't get into it - but trust me, food has always been a struggle.
So, we are a family that loves Twizzlers. It's basically the only candy that Silas will eat and is probably all of our favorite. Dusty and I used to debate what was better - Twizzlers, Cherry Bites or Red Vines. I prefer Red Vines. Cherry Bites always held Dusty's heart until a new product recently came out that must be added to the mix - Twizzlers Super Long Nibs. I must say, they are tasty, but I still prefer Red Vines. I'm not sure Dusty will ever eat anything else, now that he's tried them. He calls them his crack. Eli, of course, loves everything and Silas refuses to try anything new. His rationale? "They don't have lines in them."
"Just try them Silas. You will like them!" (Jokingly) "Do you want me to draw lines in them and then you can try it?"
"No, I only like the ones with the real lines. Those are yuck. I don't like them."
Ughh! Come on, kid! You have never tried them and you cannot say you don't like something you haven't tried. Story of my life!!
Anyway, Silas has been upset because all Dusty has bought lately are the Long Nibs. I'm making it sound like we chow down on Twizzlers every night. I assure you, this is not the case - I'm speaking of the occasions like "Movie Night" or "Christmas Light Night" where snacks are required. Last night, Silas politely informed us we needed to by the Twizzlers with the lines so he could eat some. Today, while in Target, I happened to be walking down the candy aisle. I realized it was the last aisle before the Christmas decorations and turned down it so I could turn around and head to the front of the store. Silas abruptly stopped me in front of the licorice. He said, "Look Momma, (pointing to the Red Vines) these are the Twizzlers I like, not those (pointing to the Nibs). Those are the ones with the lines!".
During dinner tonight, I was telling Dusty what had happened. His reply, "What is wrong with this kid? He likes blueberry muffins without the blueberries, Twizzlers without the lines, Bread and Cheese without the Cheese. He has to learn to try things."
"I know!", I thought, just as exasperated as ever. I was suddenly determined he would try one.
"Silas, come here please."
"What is it, Momma?"
"Come sit on the counter. I need to talk to you."
I cut a portion of a Nib and handed it to him. "Silas, you need to try this and see if you like it. It's candy."
Screaming hysterically, tears dripping down his face, "Noooooo! No, never, never, never, never, never, never. I will never try it. Never, never, never." He completely freaked out. I mean, lost it.
Dusty replied, "Silas, just try it. You will like it. You have to learn to try new things."
"No, never, never, never, never, never, never, never. You are making me cry. You are making me so sad and I don't like to be sad. Never, never, never, never, never. YOU GUYS ARE SO MEAN!!"
When I say he was upset, I mean he was frantic. I'm not sure how to describe it except he was terrified.
I thought of a different approach. "Silas, if you can eat just this one bite - all of it - I will take you to the store to get you a prize tomorrow. All you have to do is eat one, tiny bite." (Okay, maybe you don't agree with this approach, but I've tried every approach possible. It was the very last resort and I could not have imagined a scenario where this wouldn't work with a kid, right?)
"Noooooooo!!! I will never try it." he proclaimed, as if he were being tortured.
Eli, who had been sitting contently looked over and said in the happiest voice, all smiles, "HEY GUYS!! I WANNA BITE!!"
After much going back and forth.....
Silas did not try it.
Not even a prize is worth trying a bite of candy. Candy!? So, there he sits, eating his raw broccoli...
1 Comments
Having witnessed a few of Si's "episodes" I know you are not exagerrating. All of God's gifts have characteristics that can be frustrating. Si is a creative little guy with some OCD! Eli is always listening and knows how to lighten the mood
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