Meandering 'round the dining room recently, I always take notice of children and what foods they are being forced or coerced into eating. It really isn't much different than Fred's News, dangle the proverbial "golden ring" in front of a child willing to do anything except eat what's on his plate and BINGO, works like a charm! At Fred's,whether one was offered rewards of candy, ice cream, sitting on the old carousel horse, going outside to look for snakes sunbathing on the polished stones, now the perfect "tanning beds", worn smooth by the years of the meandering waters of the quaint and charming Beaver Brook or my personal favorite..."Mr. Bill popping out his teeth to squeals of delight", parents continually try to get the kids to consume foods that are "good for them!
Seems to me those tactics need be done in the privacy of ones home. Dear God save the masses from the pointless promises of rewards. For God sake you are at Disney, isn't that reward enough! A good argument can also be made.....when a kid is hungry he will eat! Trust me, a five or six year old isn't going to die of starvation if he doesn't finish his pancake or waffle!
All this so-called wisdom comes from the memory chambers deep within my heart......palpitations begin as I remember sitting at the kitchen table, defying my Mother, "I won't eat those peas, they are yukky and disgusting!" I adamantly announced. Two hours later, two shriveled, olive drab peas remained on my plate. I had missed playing outside on an awesome summer night, I had been threatened (not really), I had gagged (just to prove a point) and a point well taken by the parents. "She is the most stubborn person I have every laid my eyes on!" boomed my Father "forget the peas but you are in for the night!" It was at that point in my young life I truly understood the phrase, "I might have won the battle, but the war was still lost!"
It is not always children refusing to eat. Fred's News had one customer in particular, that had one of the queasiest stomachs I had even witnessed. So much so it provided outstanding early morning entertainment for the regulars at Freds. Billy, a character in his own right took everything to heart. Some of the early crowd felt is necessary to share with their Fred's News family, the particulars concerning their daily bodily functions, the lack of said functions, remedies used to correct the functions and the results of these sure fire remedies. At times even I reminded these loose-lipped patrons "not good conversation in a restaurant." After seeing Billy, hunched over his cup of tea,sweating profusely,gagging, eyes bulging holding back the just consumed food, I usually sent up the warning shot. Needless to say, there were those that tried to see how far they could push poor Billy. It didn't have to be conversation that pushed this poor man over the edge. Someone in the vicinity, sneezing, coughing or perhaps the child choking on the food he was being forced to eat was the cause. Whatever, if immediate control was not gained on the situation the "domino effect" might have occurred. Moments like this always caused Billy to stay away for a period of time. I would give fair warning to the guilty culprits, with promises of it never happening again. Yet depending on the moment, the mood, who was present or if a friendly wager was being had, that moment, just as day turns to night, always occurred. The regulars had that innate ability to read a character as well as their mood. Then much like the wild pack animals circling their prey, they'd go in for the kill! Worked like a charm, I just never understood how they all managed to pick up on "the right time" at the same time! "May the Force be with you!"
Seems to me those tactics need be done in the privacy of ones home. Dear God save the masses from the pointless promises of rewards. For God sake you are at Disney, isn't that reward enough! A good argument can also be made.....when a kid is hungry he will eat! Trust me, a five or six year old isn't going to die of starvation if he doesn't finish his pancake or waffle!
All this so-called wisdom comes from the memory chambers deep within my heart......palpitations begin as I remember sitting at the kitchen table, defying my Mother, "I won't eat those peas, they are yukky and disgusting!" I adamantly announced. Two hours later, two shriveled, olive drab peas remained on my plate. I had missed playing outside on an awesome summer night, I had been threatened (not really), I had gagged (just to prove a point) and a point well taken by the parents. "She is the most stubborn person I have every laid my eyes on!" boomed my Father "forget the peas but you are in for the night!" It was at that point in my young life I truly understood the phrase, "I might have won the battle, but the war was still lost!"
It is not always children refusing to eat. Fred's News had one customer in particular, that had one of the queasiest stomachs I had even witnessed. So much so it provided outstanding early morning entertainment for the regulars at Freds. Billy, a character in his own right took everything to heart. Some of the early crowd felt is necessary to share with their Fred's News family, the particulars concerning their daily bodily functions, the lack of said functions, remedies used to correct the functions and the results of these sure fire remedies. At times even I reminded these loose-lipped patrons "not good conversation in a restaurant." After seeing Billy, hunched over his cup of tea,sweating profusely,gagging, eyes bulging holding back the just consumed food, I usually sent up the warning shot. Needless to say, there were those that tried to see how far they could push poor Billy. It didn't have to be conversation that pushed this poor man over the edge. Someone in the vicinity, sneezing, coughing or perhaps the child choking on the food he was being forced to eat was the cause. Whatever, if immediate control was not gained on the situation the "domino effect" might have occurred. Moments like this always caused Billy to stay away for a period of time. I would give fair warning to the guilty culprits, with promises of it never happening again. Yet depending on the moment, the mood, who was present or if a friendly wager was being had, that moment, just as day turns to night, always occurred. The regulars had that innate ability to read a character as well as their mood. Then much like the wild pack animals circling their prey, they'd go in for the kill! Worked like a charm, I just never understood how they all managed to pick up on "the right time" at the same time! "May the Force be with you!"
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