Salad Morality

Cool story time.

The other day, my family was having dinner. Business as usual. That is, right up until my mom tried parenting. When we arrived at the table, all that sat on our plates was salad. We were told that we would not be allowed the main course until we finished our salad.

Mom. I'm freaking 17. I can eat my salad without being forced into it.

This sums up nicely what my first problem was. The babying. I've found that children like to behave the age they are told they are. If they're handed responsibility, they like to act as if they deserve it. The opposite is also true. If they are treated like they have no idea what they're doing, or if they're sheltered to the point where they have no idea that there are people out there who actually drink beer, then they've been subject to bad parenting. I understand the need to try and baby kids, but in the long run, it's damaging.

My other issue with this is how the salad was treated. It was an obstacle, a mountain in the way, a bad thing that must be endured. By treating the salad-eating as a requirement, it immediately becomes associated with punishment. Though this wins the battle, it loses the war. My dear impressionable siblings will forever view salad as that thing they hated for keeping their dinner away from them.

At this point, all zero of my readers who have their own children are saying, "gee willikers, how on earth do we get them to do what we want them to, then?" My answer, in its simplest: You don't. The best you can hope for is that they'll follow the path you want them to, and the way to do that is to lead by example. Little kids like to imitate what they see as the adult way of life. If you want your kids to eat salad first, put all the food on the plate, then eat your own flipping salad first.

Now, I'll be gone fighting bears out in the woods for the next few days. Don't expect any updates for a week or so. In the meantime, tell your friends, tell your wife, tell your husband that this page exists, and enjoy your lives and stuff.

Peace out, readers.