After Susan ate lunch today, I noticed a mysterious pile of partially-chewed-up carrots on the carpet near her chair. I presented her with this choice: a) pick up the carrots and throw them away, and we’ll read stories before naptime or b) go straight to nappers (usually I don’t use sleep as a punishment — naps are fun! — but sometimes I slip in my use of mommy language). Susan said she wanted to c) go to timeout. Guess I better finish reading The Discipline Book by Dr. Sears.
After a few more repetitions of the approved choices (a & b), Susan went over to pick up her carrots. It got quiet. I looked over and saw her lying on her stomach, eating the carrots off the floor. Well, I did vacuum a few days (a week?) ago. And, really, I’m just doing my part to ensure her exposure to some good germs. Good for the immunity, you know. And possibly good for the defense against food allergies (according to one theory).



Jessamine does that too, but she doesn’t hide it, and she does it with food she likes. I wonder if maybe it’s because she wants to eat her favorite things (i.e. a pickle or a soybean), but is full. Maybe next time Callie will just find a better hiding place.
[Reply]
I have a friend whose dad ate all the contaminated things he could find. He swore that if he ate bad things it would help his immune system. Maybe he was right becuase he never gets sick.
[Reply]