A couple weeks ago I started noticing a new Eggo commercial, or at least one I hadn't seen before. In this commercial Mom and Daughter are sitting down to a nice breakfast which looks like some effort and nutrition went into it (a breakfast casserole one day and something with pretty sausage patties on the side the next time) and Son walks into the room, MC Hammer music picks up, and Son does a full dance in the kitchen while wagging his finger and declaring "Won't Touch This". He then dances out of the room. This goes on for at least two breakfasts before the enterprising Mom serves Eggo Waffles and says "Stop, Eggo Time." Kid tries the Eggos, loves them and breakfast is saved...and presumably he eats Eggo Waffles for the rest of his life until he's in college and can't have a toaster in his dorm room.
This commercial drives me NUTS. Not because it's an advertisement for Eggos, which I've tried a few times and just never developed a taste for, or because of the cheesy music...hey...I grew up in the 80s and had parachute pants, thank you very much. No, it drives me nuts because of the attitude, and it's one seen a plenty. Kid is picky. Kid is allowed to be picky, disrespectfully so, and Mom folds to pickiness of kid. What happened to the idea of trying new things, discussing likes and dislikes and appreciating the work that goes into feeding a family?
It's not like the kid has an allergy or intolerance, either. He just doesn't like ANYTHING Mom comes up with, and I see this all the time in families which aren't on TV. My kids saw the ad and laughed because they knew they'd NEVER get away with such behavior. Yeah, I encourage them to tell me when they don't care for something or really love a food. It doesn't mean we'll never have the food they don't like again, or that they won't be required to at least manage a few bites in the name of good nutrition and a balanced diet, but I do respect their opinions and we try to figure out what they don't like and see if we can make it better.
Maybe I'm the only 'eat it or else' Mom left in the universe, but I have yet to see my kids suffer from empty bellies and over time many foods once on the taboo list have become family favorites with a few changes to spices or presentation. No, I'm never going to get Bunneh to eat jello with bits in it or shredded coconut, but that's part of the compromise too. Sometimes the compromise is mine and the menu gets changed for the future.
However, the first person that says "won't touch this" while waggling a finger at me better be willing to become MC Cooks the Food as I dance out of the room.
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