Torture aka Dinner Time

This isn't what we had for dinner tonight, but this is what we had last Wednesday night.  The story I'm going to share though is from tonight.  I thought I'd find a picture of Eliana's dinner from last week just to get your senses moving in the right direction.  Eliana had beans, super tasty pork chops that Kyle made, carrots, peas, olives, and won ton noodles.  The olives, beans, and won ton noodles were from our salad toppings.  Eliana hasn't figured out yet that salads are good.  It took Kyle 25 years to figure that out.

I thought that Eliana getting her new tooth was the cause of the her eating habits being so picky.  I'd read months ago to have your little one eat lots of different types of foods between 12 and 18 months, because after that she can become quite picky.  Well, I think Eliana is simply being picky to put it kindly.

Kyle wasn't feeling well.  How he slept through the noise of dinner is beyond me.  I tried a new recipe for a meatball soup with homemade meatballs, garbanzo beans, bow tie noodles, stewed tomatoes, and spinach.  I have some Texas toast for French toast later some time in the next two weeks, but I splurged early.  Here is where the dilemma began.  Eliana was already up in her chair.  She'd been "starving", or so I'm sure she would have said if she had those words.  She'd been signing that she was hungry, but when I offered water while the soup cooked, she pushed it away.  The house smelled good, and I was excited to try something new.  The food was on the table, and I went back to get the butter for toast.  In the mean time, Eliana grabbed her whole slice and began trying to eat the giant slice of bread.  So, when I went to trade her the bread for her soup (the ingredients minus the hot broth), she clearly was upset.  I gave her a little piece of the toast, put it out of sight and proceeded to encourage her to eat.  She ate a little, seemed to like it, and then she refused to eat.  The noise, volume, tears, and anger that continued for quite some time would have made you think she was already two.  After a while, I had her get down.  She went straight for the fridge and signed eat.  I told her that her food was on the table.  The noise, volume, tears, and anger that continued were out of frustration as she was trying to get me to understand that the "good" food was within grasp within the fridge.  Sigh.  I held my ground since this display of disliking the food set before her in hopes of getting bread or something else has been around for more days than I have wanted.  She climbed up my chair and sat in my lap.  I offered her my soup. Nope.  That was not what she wanted.  I was frustrated.  She was beyond frustrated.  But, I held my ground.  There was food for her, and she had tried some of it and enjoyed some of it before all of the noise.  So, after I was done, I started clearing the table.  I left her food there for her to eat when she got hungry enough.  She read books while I did the dishes.  All that was left was her plate and cup.  Although I wasn't sure what was to come of our evening, I went to put her plate in the fridge for when she decided she was hungry.  She saw me and came over, ready (praise the LORD on high) to eat.  I let her pick what she'd like.  I was stunned to see the first thing to go in was the spinach since she had previously picked it off her plate and put it on the table aka I'm not eating that.  I sat on the floor exhausted from the display of her tantrum and leaned against the fridge.  Eliana came and sat in my lap, and to my great relief she continued to eat.  I told her about how I love her, and I want her to grow strong.  I told her that she needs to eat veggies and a variety of food to be healthy.  She listened, and got a book for me to read for her.  So there we sat reading, pausing for me to pass her more food, and enjoying each other's company.

I sadly know this won't be the last torture meal, but at least now I know more clearly where the battle lines are drawn.  I know there are parents who give into this battle, but I'll hold my ground in hope that one day we can share a quiet healthy meal together as a family.  I'm not sure how all of this will work out in public, but I'll cross that road when we get there.

Through the screaming, the following verse came to mind.
"Train up a child in the way he should go,
      And when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
Yes, this was about eating healthy, but more importantly it was about obeying.  Did I want to hear Eliana scream like she was losing an appendage, no.  But, she does need to continue to learn to obey.  Just in case you're wondering about that bread that went out of sight.  After she had eaten quite a bit, she got some of the bread.  A little more soup, and then a little more bread.  

On a happier note, I made these apple scones yesterday.  They were a hit at our small group!  Thanks Kari for the recipe!