Sumpin' else

As I have mentioned before, both my husband and I are teachers. I feel a bit sorry for our kids, as my "teacher voice" tends to come out quite often at home (and come to think of it, I have used it on teenagers on public transport more than once...). I know my students think I'm a bit tough on them, and I am, it's only because I've learned that high standards beget high standards! I suppose when you're dealing with other people's children all day, you learn pretty quickly how to manage rowdy groups...perhaps you could say I specialise in persuasive tactics and crowd control! Anyway, whereas at school I use rewards for students who finish all of their work, at home I use rewards for children who finish all of their dinner. Jack has always been a good eater, especially considering the limited diet he has to follow because of his allergies. We have had to be strict with him by necessity, and he is pretty good about understanding what he can and can't eat. Usually he finishes his lunch or dinner without a problem, and then receives "something else" like a soy yoghurt, some fruit or a biscuit. I don't know if it's because he's the eldest, but Jack has rarely demanded "something else" without finishing his veges.

Phoebe, on the other hand, has evolved "sumpin else" into an art form. The lure of the treat that follows the meal has always been Phoebs' main goal, as she definitely has a sweet tooth and would happily exist on cake alone. Phoebe regularly sits in front of her plate for up to an hour, singing, rearranging her food, pretty much anything except eating her meal. She's usually very sweet about it, and will let you feed her like a baby bird if you are so inclined. However, as I usually have Maisie on one hip and a basket of wet washing on the other, typically I let her shovel her dinner into her own mouth. Lately, Phoebe has become so fixated on the 'sumpin else' component of the meal that she asks for it before the first plate is on the table. For example, if I am cooking pasta, Phoebs will ask if she can have "sumpin else when I finish my noodles, Mummy?" I always reply "Let's just eat your dinner first, darling", to which she will swiftly chirp, "And then I can have sumpin else!"

Yesterday, we went from the sublime to the ridiculous. I was having "one of those days", in which you could practically hear the Benny Hill music in the background. Phoebe and Maisie were so patient sitting in the back seat of the car while I ran hither and yon, that I got the guilts. While I went through my favourite drive-thru coffee joint (for the obligatory decaf soy latte!!), I bought Phoebe a gingerbread man (she calls it a ninja man). Now, as far as treats go, this was up there in the realm of awesome. We typically don't have gingerbread men, simply because Jack can't eat them unless I make them (and when you're in a car, on the run...that's not going to happen!) So I thought the sheer awesomeness of this snack would keep Phoebe happy for a little while. With a huge smile, she ate his buttons (and told me all about it), bit his head off (and told me all about it), and then with a mouthful of gingerbread said, "Mummy, can I have sumpin else?" Are you serious? How can you want something else when you are in the process of eating something so yummy??

I'm not quite sure how far this trend will go but I think we need to nip it in the bud. When we went out for dinner with my mum tonight, we walked into the restaurant and Jack piped up, "Mum, after our dinner can we have gelati please?" We hadn't even sat down, let alone ordered! Talk about jumping the gun! I wonder what would happen if I turned 'sumpin else' into more veges? Or perhaps a glass of soy milk?? Possibly the only thing that might happen is it would make me the worst mother in the world...hmmm. Now there's a social experiment I could enjoy. What do you think?