I Did it Again...

I shouldn't have done it!
I know I shouldn't have done it!
Every family therapist,
every child development textbook will warn you
and every parenting book will tell you a million
Reasons why its a bad idea,
AND I DID IT ANYWAY!
Not only did I do it,
But I did it twice,
and I'm so grateful that I did-

I bribed my son,
my picky eater,
my "I don't like it" specialist-
to go one week with no sugar and no processed foods-
And I bribed him with a trip to his FAVORITE
ice cream shop-
Yup! I bribed him with sugar to stay away from sugar!

Way to go Mother of the Year!!

But it was the best thing that could have happened
He went one FULL week with no sugar,
and he checked EVERY food label of everything he ate!
He even refused cupcakes and cookies offered for a classmates'
birthday at school and cookies at scouts
(Have you ever noticed how much sugar is offered to our kids every day?)

While sitting at the ice cream shop at the end of his week,
I had a brilliant idea,
"Can you do it for three weeks?"
I asked him,
"What do I get"
 he asked (he knows how this bribe thing works)?

"How about I will let you post a YouTube video"
(He has wanted to do this for months and I keep putting him off)

We just finished his three weeks, and he said
"That's not so hard" and my 12 year old
(also a very picky eater)
asked if she could do it too!

Oh happy day for this mama bear-
He ate cantaloupe, grapes, cucumbers, celery, spinach

Blueberry BBQ Salmon w/ Apple Salsa, Salad & Roasted Carrots

He tasted berries, melons and all sorts of grains,

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Berry Infusion- Syrup Not Needed

He drank every combination of fresh juice
I threw his way...

Spinach, Celery, Lime, Green Apple, Ginger, Beets & Rhubarb

You don't get fresher than that...

He's a changed kid, I'm telling you...

Who knew breaking the rules would be such a fine idea!!

I shouldn't have, but I did

I know better-
I really, really know better!

But I did it anyway-
and you know what,
I am DARN glad that I did!!

I bribed my 8 year old son

to try to eat healthy for ONE full week-
NO sugar,

The Makings of Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

NO artificial food
 
and LOTS & LOTS of
Fruits & Veggies

You see, we eat healthy-

at least mostly-

here at Chez Peterson,

But my two youngest-
well they are the shame of our Chez,
they are the pickiest of the picky-
so I got desperate and
I bribed him!!

In exchange, I offered a treat
at the local Yogurt Stop that he
has wanted for SOOOOOO long-

This is a treat I always say 'NO' to-
Not to mention,
in January, we stopped going for
store bought treats completely,
so he has been YEARNING to
go and get a big ole' yogurt smoothie!

I NEVER bribe healthy for junk-
I mean
REALLY- where is the logic??

But desperate times called for desperate measures-
and this mom saw NO other option.

He has been amazing-
He is bound and determined to succeed.
He has eaten veggies at EVERY meal,
he has tried cantaloupe, blackberries and green grapes-

he has eaten cucumbers, celery and avocado!

You don't live here, so you don't realize it
BUT this is BIG

Today is Day 4-
one more school day to go,
Next week we are going at it again-
we'll make it longer-
TEN DAYS!

There is hope yet that he won't turn to plastic
because of all the fake food he eats!