It was one of those dreaded mornings when everyone was cranky…okay, I was cranky. The Breakfast battle had begun. My 3 year old has been a notoriously fussy eater in his young life. This is not unusual for children this age. In fact, this pattern of eating can stay with us throughout adulthood. What can I say, “I will not, WILL NOT, eat clams!” Anyway, my son decided he would merely sample his breakfast rather than eat a full meal. As a parent this can grate one’s nerves for several reasons. The energy invested in trying to coax one’s child to eat can be unbelievably frustrating. The methods used to persuade your child can run the gamut from gentle words of encouragement to threats of tossing your child’s toys into a raging volcano “unless you eat right now!” This whole scenario is coupled with the morning rush to get your child off to school on time. Did I mention the battle to get one’s child dressed? It’s as though a child has this innate instinct on what buttons to push to make mommy and daddy morph into babbling idiots as they flail their arms like angry seagulls. Objectively, I can see why this might be a source of entertainment. And I know when I’m old and grey I’ll laugh about it. But for now, deep breaths people, deep breaths.
