Lima Beans Anyone?

I had to smile tonight as we were eating supper. My kids were comparing how many Lima beans they found in their mixed vegetables and then competing to see who could eat them the fastest. No complaints, no whining, just eating their vegetables.

It’s a trick I learned from my parents many years ago. You see, when I was growing up, one of my family’s favorite desserts was fruit cocktail. But none of us wanted to eat the cherries. My Mom and Dad had a discussion and came up with a creative plan. The next time we had fruit cocktail, my Dad made a big deal about finding the cherries. Then, he made an even bigger deal about how great the cherries tasted as he ate them. It didn’t take long for all of us to follow his lead. Soon we were competing to find the most cherries and commenting about how wonderful they tasted. It wasn’t until years later that Dad “fessed up” and told us his secret. By then we all truly enjoyed our fruit cocktail and our Dad’s wonderful sense of humor.

Parenting has its moments. There are enough battles without making more. Sometimes a bit of creativity and humor can dissolve problems. Lima beans, anyone?!