Hunger strike...........

Mrs. Lime cooked chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner last night. Everyone sat down to eat. Only two of the three people at the table were eating. Kali 2.3 decided after a bite or two of rice that she was done. Mrs. Lime headed off to work, so I had the fortune of resolving the eating issue.

I told Kali that she needed to eat her food. Several different versions of 'no' came from her mouth. I told her that was fine, but she wasn't getting any other foods or treats until she ate her dinner. She quietly got down and walked off to do something else, which I know is a firm sign that she heard exactly what I said and chose the path of not eating. I let her know that her food would be right here if she wanted to come back and eat some rice or veggies. I got another 'no' but little else. At least I knew she was listening.

20 minutes later.......

Kali: Daddy, I want some chips!

Me: You can have some chips as soon as you finish eating your dinner.

Kali: I want chips! I want chips! I want chips!

Note that none of these emphatic statements were terribly mean. Kali usually keeps her tone at a nice level, even when she's being demanding. She'll kill with kindness.

30 minutes later.......

Kali: Daddy, I want some chocolate!

Me: You can have some chocolate as soon as you finish eating your dinner.

Kali: I want some chocolate! I want some chocolate! I want some chocolate!

New food, same routine. She sticks with what works I guess.

Long story short, she drank a lot of water and apple juice, but decided that giving in to Daddy on the dinner thing was more of a compromise than she was willing to make. Mrs. Lime is going to have a hungry kid on her hands when she wakes up this morning. I'm sure she'll eat just fine.