Kids' Food Tantrums And Mom's Life

Image courtesy:GKFoodDiary

'No no no! I won't eat it!' and he clenches his teeth tightly shut. Daal-palak and jeera aalu it is for lunch today but the kids hate anything green! I try to convince him once again, telling him all about good health and nutrients and diseases. 'How would you grow up if you don't eat green veggies? You know it's so essential for good health. How would you play cricket and football if you're weak.' This should work, I hope. He's fanatic about his football and cricket and doesn't miss them even during exam day.

He's not an easy nut to crack. But I am his mom too. Determined to make him eat, I try again,' You like daal, don't you? Then think of it as daal only.'

He shakes his head again. Lips still pursed together.

Leaving him for a minute I turn to the daughter who has been smiling wickedly all this while, 'Why are you not eating it?' 'Am not hungry Mom, I want to have fruits only', she's one clever kid. 'But you like daal paalak, remember your childhood', I try to entice her with my sweet words but she doesn't budge, 'I WAS a kid then. You must have tricked me into eating it!' she smirks, 'And besides that you only say that fruits are healthy so please spare me this gooey mass of green cow #%*$!' 

Exasperated with the teenager's tantrums, I make one last ditch effort to lure my cartoon crazy son, 'even Popeye eats spinach, beta! You should also...'

'But I am not Popeye!', the son cuts me in mid-sentence.

That does it! 

'You want to fall ill! How many times I have told you about the benefits of green veggies...they have so much of iron and vital nutrients. They help the body in making blood but you refuse to understand anything! Eat it or leave it, I won't make anything else for you,' my mother blurts out from my mouth.

They continue to look at their respective magazines, unaffected by their Mom's furious tirade. He gobbles his chapati with jeera aalu. She chomp son her apple. The gooey mass of green mocks me from their plates.

The Mom calls just then. My mom, silly!

She can read my silences even from the phone. I increase the volume of the TV, just in case you know! But she still hears the glum tones and asks, 'Another lunch time fracas?'

"What else Mom. This is the everyday story. I try to make something new everyday and still they don't want to eat anything on one pretext or the other. Am fed up!'

Huh! Did I just hear her grin? Or am I imagining too much? I wonder.

A few months later...

The kids are doing well in their basketball and football coaching and I go to meet their coach one day. He praises their efforts and tells them to pump in some more vigor in their running. 'You need to be more agile', he tells them. 

And my mother barges in again..., 'See I told you naa! Sir, please tell them to eat everything. I keep telling them to eat green veggies and eggs and almonds but they don't listen. And she throws so many tantrums in drinking milk', I continue my rant. The kids continue to glare at me.

A few years later...

'So how are you managing everything all alone? Eating well, naa?' I ask them on a group video call. The daughter has recently moved away to another city for a new job and son to the engineering college hostel. 'Eat fruits everyday. And don't forget the dry fruits too. Finish them before they get spoilt. And remember, no gorging on junk food and cold drinks...'

'Mommy! Don't become Nani again!' they cut the call. Together.

The laptop screen goes blank on me. The Mommy is left twiddling her thumbs again.