Well, that was easy

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Monkey's very poor eating habits.  I don't know if I made it clear in that post, but most mealtimes were fraught with pleading and anger - from both sides.  He was pleading to be done or to have dessert, we were pleading for him to JUST TAKE ONE FRICKING BITE IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL YOU; he was angry because he had been fed something he didn't even want to try and because he wanted dessert, we were angry because he wouldn't JUST TAKE ONE FRICKING BITE IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL YOU!

 

Many times Hubby and I have discussed what we should do with the Monkey's extremely strong will to not eat anything that looked remotely healthy.  Many times we have come to the conclusion that we should just not show him that we care.  Many times we have resorted to the "take a bite, come on, please for me" routine.  Then it would turn into, now you have to take three bites before you can leave the table or get dessert.  Then it would turn into the Monkey asking how many bites he had to take to be done and get dessert before he even started the meal.  This pattern would replay itself many, many times.  Dinner was very, very painful to endure - to say the least.

 

This time I didn't discuss the game plan with Hubby.  

 

The Monkey would whine and moan about what was being served, my reply was "ok, you can be done if you want".  Then he would ask for dessert.  My response was "nope, if you want dessert you have to eat what is on your plate".  He would then proceed to whine some more.  Hubby would get upset that we were letting the Monkey win and that he had to eat dinner or else he'd be up too early because he was hungry.  My response to Hubby was that I was done fighting with the Monkey over what he ate.  He could either eat what we made for him or go hungry. 

 

Over the last two weeks something very bizarre happened.  Sometimes the Monkey would complain about what he was being fed, and then he'd get to the point where he would ask if he could be done with dinner.  When I would respond that he could be done, he would then ask for dessert.  After realizing that he wasn't going to get dessert, and that he actually was hungry, he would turn around and come back to the table and finish everything on his plate - regardless of what it was.  For the most part we were feeding him things that he would normally eat, albeit with a fight.

 

Last night we had something we never dreamed we could get him to eat, regardless of what the reward was.  We fed him stew with a side of rice.  He moaned the second we put it on the table, saying he didn't like it without even taking a bite.  He loves rice, so he ate that and said he was done.  Could he have dessert?  Nope, not until all the meat and potatoes were gone.  He said that he didn't want dessert and left the table.  The Monkey saw that the Chipmunk was gobbling up his yummy (to the Chipmunk, yucky to me (trust me, I see the irony)) pureed squash and would soon be having dessert (pureed bananas).  So, the Monkey turned around and came back to the table and ATE EVERY LAST PIECE OF MEAT AND POTATOES.  He even ate a slice of carrot.  With only the teeniest bit of complaining.

 

To say I'm thrilled is an understatement.