Will Work for Chocolate

I'm not ashamed to admit that I bribe my kids.  Well, maybe I'm a little bit ashamed, but that is what this blog is all about--being imperfect.  Anyway, I bribe my kids.  I'll use chocolate, television, or whatever it takes.  I was on vacation this past week, and I gave my son brownies for helping me pick up, offered my daughter M&Ms to eat her green beans and bought doughnuts just in case I needed something for bartering.  My five-year-old is easy.  The promise of a brownie worked two nights in a row.  My daughter, on-the-other-hand, is a little more challenging.  At two-years-old, she loves chocolate and has a special soft spot for M&Ms.  She also has a serious aversion to green beans.  So, despite her love for the rainbow colored chocolates, she refused to make a deal.  She's a pretty stubborn girl when she wants to be.  In case you are wondering how she gets any nutrients, rest assured.  She drinks V-8 Fusion all day long--it has a serving of fruit and a serving of vegetables in each cup!

I love chocolate (a little too much) and it has not always been a good friend to me.  Sometimes I feel guilty for indulging my kids and sharing my chocolate obsession with them.  I spent the past week with my sister, who is an awesome mom.  She feeds her daughter organic food, adds vegetables to everything, and limits her intake of anything sweet.  She's my older sister, so I guess it's normal to look up to her (even if I was a mom first).  I wish I were more like her, or that my kids were more like my niece and ate all that good food.  Just when I really start to feel bad, though, I remember that my daughter was so small she was off the growth chart for much of her first year.  She is healthy and growing now, but she is a far cry from being overweight.  I also remember that eventually I will be able to make her eat vegetables.  My son still doesn't like them, but he knows that he can't leave the table until he is done with his vegetables.  It's a work in progress and I'm pretty sure everyone will be okay in the end.  So, I'm not going to feel guilty about it.  In fact, I think it is time for some brownies!