It’s For Your Own Good

I HATED when my Mom would say that to me as a child.  H-A-T-E-D it.  Because I could never see what was “good” about whatever she was referring to!

Welcome to Motherhood, Mama!  I find myself saying it to Mr. Charm all the time  now.

I’m not starving him; he gets 3 squares a day, one big snack, and is allowed to snack any time he asks for food.

Driving through! Mr. Charm with a bag full of homemade potato strings and a hamburger patty on a fork! Love a toddlers sense of style!

But the poor child just WANTS to eat things that he’s no longer allowed to have; chocolate chips, raisins, dried cantaloupe, his cereal, and carrot chips.  I feel awful saying “No” to him, when what he’s asking to eat is something normally considered a healthy, I-can’t-believe-a-two-year-old-would-want-that food!

I have to, though.  I have to tell my son “No, it will make you sick.  This is for your own good.”

And I hate having to say it probably more than he hates having to hear it.

I’m already seeing improvements in his behavior and diapers on this fructose-free diet.  I can’t stand the idea of jeopardizing that with a lack of willpower on my part.

Plus, it would just teach Mr. Charm bad habits; “if I whine long and loud enough, I’ll get what I want.”  SO. NOT. the lesson I want him to learn!

As for improvements, his poop has finally turned dark brown, as opposed to a light brown/yellowish color (this is a sign that things are staying in his digestive tract for longer and therefore he is probably absorbing more nutrition from his food), he’s become a LOT more cooperative and obedient (in general – he still is 2, after all, and has his moments!), and he’s using more words in more ways than he ever has.

Just in case I could confuse myself by thinking this is a fluke, a few days ago, he snuck on the kitchen counters when I was nursing Mr. Happy and ate who-knows-how-many chocolate chips from the open bag tucked in the back on the top shelf (the top shelf being the place I’ve put food not his diet).  These are Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, and they have pure cane sugar and brown rice syrup in them (plus other stuff I can’t remember now) and those two items are fructose no-no’s.

Three hours later he had a nasty poop with lots of undigested food in it, an hour later he had another one, and for the rest of the day he was uncooperative, mile-a-minute, and slept rotten at nap time.

So I REALLY can’t give in to his begging and pleading…I can see the change in him so clearly on this elimination diet!

Sigh…well, no one ever said motherhood was easy!  (But I hope we can pass some yummy treat-type foods quickly so he’ll stop making me feel like a jerk!)

How do you handle it when your kiddos beg for foods that are bad for them?