Soup That Builds Character
Tonight for supper we had vegetable soup. Cora took one bite, decided she didn't like it, and threw a bit of a fit. She was sent to her room. A little while later she was given the chance to come back to the table. She returned, repentant. She took a few bites of her food, then looked at me seriously.
Cora: Mom, I don't think my kids will like this soup.
Me: You don't think so?
Cora: Nope. So can you please put it in my recipe book (I keep a recipe book where I tuck all their favorite recipes so they can have them when they move out)?
Me: Um, sure. But I thought you said your kids wouldn't like it.
Cora: Nope, they won't. That's why they should have it.
Me: OK...
Cora: Yep, and I won't give them any crackers until they've finished it.
Me: I was nicer than that. I gave you crackers upfront.
Cora: Well I won't. They might refuse to eat it and just snatch the crackers and run up to their rooms. And then they'll be grounded for two weeks. They can go to school and church, but that's it. And I'll go with them to their class at church to make sure they only sit by the teacher.
Me: All that because they didn't eat their soup!?
Cora: Yes! Because they didn't eat it and because they ran off to their rooms with the crackers. Mom, there are some really good reasons why everyone should eat this stuff sometimes. For one thing, it's really healthy. For another, my kids would have only eaten crackers and they're not healthy at all. For another thing, our house rule will be no eating in bedrooms unless it's throwback night or you're a grown-up. And, Mom, if people don't eat stuff like this sometimes--you know, stuff that they really don't like--they'll grow up to be spoiled.
And no one wants that.
Cora: Mom, I don't think my kids will like this soup.
Me: You don't think so?
Cora: Nope. So can you please put it in my recipe book (I keep a recipe book where I tuck all their favorite recipes so they can have them when they move out)?
Me: Um, sure. But I thought you said your kids wouldn't like it.
Cora: Nope, they won't. That's why they should have it.
Me: OK...
Cora: Yep, and I won't give them any crackers until they've finished it.
Me: I was nicer than that. I gave you crackers upfront.
Cora: Well I won't. They might refuse to eat it and just snatch the crackers and run up to their rooms. And then they'll be grounded for two weeks. They can go to school and church, but that's it. And I'll go with them to their class at church to make sure they only sit by the teacher.
Me: All that because they didn't eat their soup!?
Cora: Yes! Because they didn't eat it and because they ran off to their rooms with the crackers. Mom, there are some really good reasons why everyone should eat this stuff sometimes. For one thing, it's really healthy. For another, my kids would have only eaten crackers and they're not healthy at all. For another thing, our house rule will be no eating in bedrooms unless it's throwback night or you're a grown-up. And, Mom, if people don't eat stuff like this sometimes--you know, stuff that they really don't like--they'll grow up to be spoiled.
And no one wants that.
