The kid that took forever to eat..

I think we all, in one way or another, have a strong-willed child. I don't think I've ever met a parent of a toddler who hasn't told me how hard-headed or stubborn their child is. I'm no exception to that. I, too, have two very stubborn kids. If I pull my camera out and tell Madison to smile, she instantly hangs her head down low and gives me a death glare. We now know that if we want to get a cute picture of her, its most likely going to have to be candid. Maverick, on the other hand, will stand still and give you the biggest smile he possibly can--but when it comes to eating: he's awful.

I don't remember when this started--because as a baby he used to be the best eater in the world. Anything you gave him would be eaten within minutes. But somewhere in the mix he became a toddler and decided that he didn't want to eat. Its not that he was now a picky eater--he would still eat whatever you gave him--it would just take him two hours to do so. This proved to be insanely frustrating whether we were at a restaurant or at home.

Weeks and months of this had gone by and I was at my wits end. I called my mom in tears and told her that I couldn't take it anymore. And then--as if she were some sort of God-send, she told me what her and my dad used to do when my sisters and I took forever to eat. I don't know how I didn't remember this--in my mind I totally remember sitting at the dinner table for hours and my mom getting so frustrated--but somehow I forgot this trick that they used to use on us. I'm going to throw you a bone and share this secret with you ;) ...here goes:

Once your child's plate is placed in front of him/her, the timer gets set for 30 minutes. You tell them that the timer is on--and you leave it at that. No nagging them to eat, no stressing about it. Once that timer is up they can get down and play, but whatever food is left on their plate gets eaten at the next meal. Sounds simple, right? It is. It took Maverick one time having to eat his leftover dinner for breakfast, and from then on he finishes his meals within 15 minutes. He HATED having to eat his dinner for breakfast.. breakfast around here is usually pretty fun, and having to eat dinner for breakfast is just a big bummer--and he realized that.

This trick not only helped with him eating slow, but it also helped (and continues to help) him to not be a picky eater. If there's one thing I cant stand--its a picky eater. If you're an adult and you're a picky eater--then that's your parent's fault. I'm not going to be that parent. If you don't like what I made for dinner--too bad: its what's for dinner. I'm not going to make you something else; I'm not a short-order cook. You'd better just hurry and eat it before the timer runs out, or else it'll be breakfast as well.

This has 100% worked. I am so grateful that my mom told me that they used to do this, because as I said, I had completely forgotten.

I think nowadays most parents would rather be their kid's friend than be their parent--and that's not okay. Of course you want to have a close relationship with them--but they need a parent. People may say that I'm a bad mom because I'm so strict with my kids--but I'd rather be strict with them now than deal with the consequences later. My son is going to be a terrific husband and father when he is older--and I know its because of the values I'm implementing him with now. He already holds doors open for Madison and I whenever we walk into a place. People are constantly staring at us because its just the cutest thing in the world seeing a 4-year-old boy holding doors open for his mom and sister. That's the kind of kids we need to raise--kids with manners. Everyone complains that chivalry is dead. Well, lets bring it back. You may not have a husband that holds doors open for you or gives you his coat when you're cold--but that doesn't mean you cant teach your son to do those things for his future wife. I've yet to receive the Greatest Mom in the World award, and I don't think it'll ever come--but I think I'm doing a pretty damn good job so far. I have amazing kids, and I can't wait to see what the become when they grow up.