Battle of the 1/3 Chicken Tender

Okay, Here's My Deal...

There was a battle of wills today. Me versus the 3 year old. I know, scary. I stood on my hill and fought hard...and won!!

We went out to eat for lunch...he had been a good helper and sport as I ran several errands and he was in and out of the van. There were 4 chicken tenders in his meal. I wanted him to eat at least 2. Well, he ate 2 and 2/3 pretty well. We sat in Burger King for over an hour while I was trying to get him to eat the otehr 1/3.

There was no yelling on my part. No getting angry, either. I simply told him that we were not leaving until he ate the rest of that tender. Too often we waste food and he doesn't eat and then later wants to eat. Today, I just didn't want to see that happen.

I took away his fries and said he'd get them back if he ate the rest of his chicken.

I took away the empty milk container he wanted to play with instead of eating.

I took away the Transformer guy he got in his meal and said he'd get it back if he ate.

I ate every peice of ice from my BK Mocha Joe waiting.

I read the entire Des Moines Register newspaper waiting.

I cleared out all of my recent calls from my cell phone one by one waiting.

I checked my phone messages at home waiting.

I told him he'd eat no other food until supper unless he ate the chicken.

I waited patiently...then decided he may just fall asleep in the booth if we stayed much longer, so I packed up the 1/3 chicken tender in a napkin, explained to him that I was bringing it home so he could eat it there when he was ready but reminded him of no other food until supper if he didn't eat it.

When we got home, after one more errand, he sat on the couch and said he wanted some olives. I said he could have olives if he ate his chicken. "Okay," and he did. And he got his olives.

Battle won.