Take It or Leave It

The Princess came home from school yesterday in a bad mood.

"I didn't like anything in my lunch box so I didn't eat anything and now I'm STARVING!" she wailed sweetly stated to all who would listen.

Lately the whining has been getting louder, the tantrums have been increasing, and nothing I offer her for lunch is right.  Forget the fact that she liked all these things early this year.  Forget the fact that she may have even eaten whatever I am offering the day (or week) before and loved it, if I'm suggesting it, she all of a sudden "hates" it.

With the Princess clearly weakened from starvation, I opened her lunchbox and took out what I had packed.  It was a homemade Lunchable: a divided container that held crackers in one compartment, shredded cheese in another compartment, and cherry tomatoes in a third.  On New Year's she pronounced that cherry tomatoes were her absolute favorite vegetable, but apperently now they are so awful she couldn't even eat one in an effort to hold off the hunger.

In as matter of fact tone of voice as I could manage I said, "Hmmm.  That's a shame that you didn't try it.  It looks pretty good to me."  With that I sprinkled cheese on one of the crackers and ate it, declaring its deliciousness as I did.  Yes, I am the master manipulator and proud of it. 

Within seconds she said, "Let me try that," and began making her own cheese and cracker creations which she gobbled down as quickly as she could make them.

Mommy 1; The Princess 0.

Or so I thought.

This morning I packed the same thing for her, figuring now she clearly knows that she likes this lunch and she never ate it at school yesterday, so it would be a welcome treat today.  Ha.

"I don't like this lunch!" the Princess wailed three minutes before she had to walk out the door.  "I told you that yesterday!"

The Princess will now be making her own lunches to bring to school.