Stand Off

We had a stand off at dinner tonight.

Meg didn't want to eat what we were serving. True, it was a new dish . . . a WW recipe that Jim pulled off the internet. And true, maybe it didn't look as pretty as some other things we've eaten. But it was basically an italian version of Shepard's Pie . . . ground turkey with tomatoes, potatoes on top. I told her the tomatoes were ketchup and reminded her how much she loves potatoes . . . but still no go.

She took one solid bite. And she ate the one bite, no problem. Swallowed, no gagging, no protest.

"I gonna get down now . . ." she said.

"No, you'll stay at the table with the rest of us." This is always our rule; Meg does not get down until the majority of the family is done eating.

So Meg sat there. Usually, after the first request to get up is declined, she'll eat a little more. Not tonight. The entire plate of food -- minus one bite -- stared her (and me) in the face.

After about 10 minutes, she finally was able to get up. And she never ate anything else.

Jim said, "Should I fix her something different?"

I've always said -- NO -- we don't make special meals for our kids. I'm not a short-order cook. You eat what we make or you don't eat. I don't have the time or energy to start a habit of making something different because Meg (or Kate) won't eat the dinner the rest of the family is eating.

But this was the first time my hard and fast rule had ever been tested. I'd never actually sent my kid to bed without dinner. We had never had a stand off like this one.

Tonight, I stuck to my rule. Meg went to bed without dinner. I keep telling myself, no kid ever died of going to bed without dinner.

Meg was totally fine all evening . . . was great during her bath and bedtime routine. Nothing weird. No complaining of hunger. I guess she's ok.

Does that mean I won the stand off?