Eat Your Veggies

When my son was a baby, I made his baby food and thought getting him to eat veggies would be a piece of cake. I was so wrong. For years he has refused to eat them, but turning another year older, my husband and I knew it was time for him to step up to the big boy plate. I knew it would be a challenge to incorporate the simplest veggies into his diet, but I had no idea how difficult until this past week.

Eat Your Veggies

He could have cared less if I put cheese, butter or sugar on them. It didn’t matter if he helped pick them out or cook them. Adding veggies to his favorite dish only made him hate his favorites. No matter what we tried, he down right refused each offer. Along with the refusal to eat veggies came attitude, disrespect, defiance and a child we were unaccustomed to parenting creating a tension filled environment. It was so stressful, my husband and I were ready to give up after day one.

On day three, I found myself praying what seemed to be a silly prayer. Dear Lord, help him eat these veggies. I am exhausted! On day six, we were completely depleted, leaving us with no patience and lacking ideas. At this point, we hated veggies more than our five year old, but we had to stick with finding something that worked or shred our decent parent cards.

With so much bad behavior stemming from vegetables, I had no choice but to dish out punishment as well. When I took just one of his most precious toys away, he did not even blink an eye creating huge punishments never before dealt in our home.

My prayers continued and did not seem so silly anymore.

Father, help me to be the mother he needs to grow into the man you designed him to be. Lord, help him to learn about how to make good decisions and see how they impact his life.

I continued to pray with Jacob each night about vegetables and attitude and let him know I was praying for him every day. While praying through the situation, I realized there was more to this phase than just eating vegetables. He needed to learn no matter the situation, he was not to act with attitude and defiance. He needed to experience how decisions he made affect the way other people react to him. He needed to comprehend how the extra things in life, like toys, do not come with bad decisions. This was a new opportunity to teach him good verses bad.

Thankfully our schedule cleared from a busy week and I was able to stay home with Jacob. Sunday was the day nothing but vegetables would be offered.  After church, I came home alone with him. He was hungry and in a bad mood coupled with an atrocious attitude. Not only did he not get offered any food other than vegetables, I ignored him and explained it was because he had disrespected me for too long and did not deserve Mommy attention. With so much taken from him throughout the week, losing Mommy attention and all food normal to him, you can only imagine how the next 6 hours went. The standoff lasted until 5 pm when I offered him a green drink. I did not have too much hope because he has tried and disliked them in the past, but we were both willing to try anything. He took a drink, smiled and said, “This is actually pretty good!”  Halleluiah! Praise Jesus!

I was beyond tired of fighting, but I am glad I did not give up on him. If I don’t fight for him, who will? God has entrusted him to me and I know God has a plan for him. This may have started with vegetables, but there are so many other values and lessons wrapped up in moments and phases of parenthood like this one.

Scripture like Proverbs 22:6 is not just a suggestion from God. It is unfair and ineffective to throw the Bible and church at my kids and expect them to understand how to live a right and Christian life. They have to see the full circle of prayer and feel their experiences with God. Children need to be taught how to navigate through important things they don’t like while respecting authority. We live in a world where extra seems to be expected and is demanded despite behavior and poor choices. If they aren’t taught in their current phases, how will they thrive and be successful as they enter into life as an adult?

Even sitting in church yesterday I did not know how the veggie situation would play out because my son, even as a five year old, has free will. I did not want to force him. I wanted him to learn about choice. I wanted him to see that turning away from what is good has repercussion beyond his control. I want him to learn doing what is right and sometimes hard is ultimately the easiest route with far greater results.

I love opportunities to teach my children how to grow a Faith Painted Heart. It is hard for me to say no to the world and is no different for a young child because all sin is tempting and usually seems easier. My kids know about prayer and are taught how to learn from the Bible. Children too can learn and experience the goodness of God when presented the opportunity and explanations with their situations as the examples. I rather my children struggle through growing pains while I can still hold their hand and guide them as opposed to suffer through them and the humiliation as an adult.

I know there are some of you reading who are young and struggle to listen to a request of a parent or teacher. Listen. Follow through with respect. Please understand there is a reason to respect authority. Authority is wiser and more experienced. They can see things we can’t always see. They think in ways we don’t think and when we listen, obey and follow through with respect, we too are wiser. We skip the bad things that follow disrespect, refusal and defiance. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking God to hold your hand to help you through the unwanted process. God is faithful and will help you.

We all have choices to make and when untaught, bad decisions are more likely to be made. Parents, help your children make wise choices learning from you. You are their best teacher. Let the Bible be your guide and walk the way you want your children to walk.

God help us to take scripture like Proverbs 22:6 and Philippians 1:6 to parent with healthy strategies to grow good and Godly adults making a difference in the world. Help us to put our emotion, feelings and pride aside to go the required distance. Help our children obey and respect a little more with each lesson. We love you God and thank you for the sacrifices of the cross making this all possible. It is in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. –Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. –Philippians 1:6 (NLT)