the face off

So the Papa has decided that the boy needs to start eating more foods.  There's some history here, as the boy was allergic to almost everything except blueberries, sweet potatoes and rice until he was about 2 years old.  Even as he slowly outgrew some food allergies, there were so many foods he couldn't eat that we had to be really careful.  When he was 3 there was a big sign in his cubby and the kitchen at preschool that indicated: Don't feed the boy.  I thought it was funny; Bob thought it was sad.

 

So now Jed is older and he can actually eat a lot of stuff.  And since so many gluten free foods are now available, the possibilities are wide.  However the boy is picky.  I don't entirely blame him; he's always needed to be careful of what he eats, and he wasn't exposed to a variety of foods in his young life.

We have been in the habit of cooking food for us, and something separate for Jed.  Although he eats a lot of veggies and fruits, he's pretty much a hamburger patty, pepperoni on corn tortilla quesadilla, and chicken kind of kid.  This practice became even more complicated when Aileen became a vegetarian, Jed has been a finicky, and Bob continues to require meat at each meal.  So for a family of 4, there are 3 potential menus.  That makes mama tired.

So tonight I made spaghetti.  I set some meatless aside for Ali and got some rice noodles for Jed.  I just wanted him to try it.  It's turned into a battle of wills at this point.  Boy vs. Papa, starvation vs. "suck it up" and tears galore.

So while Jed starves, Papa coaxes, Aileen picks out mushrooms, I sit quietly and observe.  Maybe I'll escape to the kitchen to do dishes while they hash it out.

What will be really interesting is when the kids conduct their snack food experiment on Bob later.  Will he refuse to eat like his son has?  The dilemma will be that Bob is withholding dessert from Jed until real food is eaten.  What can I take away if Bob refuses to eat his Twinkies and Ding Dong??