Food Negotiations

In the past month, Jonah has grown feistier about food. Michele has become an expert negotiator when it comes to getting Jonah to eat his dinner. Tonight was a great and surprising example.

We had a tasty stew tonight, with lentils, greens, potatoes, ham, carrots. Lentils and ham are usually within what Jonah will eat. Sometimes greens and potatoes. Nothing doing tonight. He wouldn't even touch bread. As Michele and I finished eating, we let him get up, we wiped him down, and he went to play.

Then the doorbell rang. Our neighbor appeared offering us fresh-off-the-tree persimmons. Yes, persimmons. I have never bought a persimmon in my life, nor have I prepared one at home. Jonah likes fruit, so we decided to give it a shot.

He gobbled up the first four or five pieces before Michele and I realized we had a new bargaining tool. Soon, a bite of ham got Jonah a bite of persimmon. A swallow of lentils plus a chunk of potato got him the next persimmon piece. I felt kind of guilty. If I'm going to offer my kid a treat in exchange for him eating dinner, shouldn't the treat at least be mildly unhealthy?

I guess not. Over the next fifteen minutes, Jonah ate a plate of stew chunks and almost half a persimmon. He didn't even ask for dessert.