Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" Day 3

Today was both really exciting, and a complete disappointment in the carrot-eating department. Let me explain...

It all started with a ride in the car. While John and I were riding home in the car this afternoon, he asked me repeatedly if he could watch "Kipper the Dog" on Netflix when we get home. I'm a little conflicted on this subject. While I desperately appreciate how Kipper holds John's undivided attention for a solid 45-60 minutes, I am also trying to limit John's daily screen time to an hour or less. He learns a lot of new words from watching shows and movies on Netflix, but I would rather have him running around the yard like the little mini-marathoner he's turning out to be.

So anyway, I jokingly replied that I would let him watch Kipper if he ate some carrots when we got home. I chuckled a little to myself (after all, I am so very funny) and went on my merry way. When we got home, and battled through the assault of excitedly licky dogs at the door, John marched straight into the kitchen and announced that he wanted some carrots.

"I'm sorry, you what?"

Pointing at the refrigerator. "I want some carrots, Mommy. Then I'mma go watch KIPPER!"

"Uhhh.. okay."

To my surprise (and elation), he totally did! He ate one WHOLE baby carrot straight out of the container. I asked him if he wanted another, keeping my fingers and my toes crossed as hard as they would go, but he turned me down. He then skipped (he literally skipped) into the living room, crawled on to the couch with his bear, and asked if he could watch Kipper. He even said, "Please?"

How could I turn that down? I can't start breaking my promises, so I let him watch 30 minutes of Kipper while I finished making dinner. I had high hopes that he would eat more carrots at dinner since he so happily ate the first one, but I was soon to be disappointed. He ate one tiny piece of one and then turned his nose up at the rest. I was too worn out to push him tonight, so I just let him eat the rest of the food on his plate. Oh well.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" Day 2

So tonight was our second attempt at carrots. Since I had an entire container of leftover carrots in my refrigerator, it was pretty easy to make dinner. Once again, John seemed pretty excited when I opened the container. I had already let him count out his chicken nuggets (don't judge me, I'm doing the best I can here) as we put them on his plate, so we did the same with the carrots. He counted them out and we clapped our hands when we were done. Then he licked some of the honey-cinnamon-ginger flavor off his fingers and smiled.

"Mmmm, yummy."

"Yeah, yummy carrots. Should we go eat them now?"

"Yeah, let's do that!"

After that, it was pretty much a "Groundhog Day" repetition of last night. The only difference was that at least he would touch the carrots. He mushed a couple pieces and would occasionally lick the honey-cinnamon-ginger flavor off his fingers. He kept asking for the honey again and I kept reminding him that the honey is on the carrots. Just when I was about to give up, I had an idea.

Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" Day 1

So the first vegetable we're going to tackle with Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" is, of course, carrots! I picked carrots because they have a sweeter flavor that most vegetables, hopefully making them more appealing. I needed to keep it simple, so I bought a bag of fresh baby carrots from the produce section that were packaged in a microwaveable bag. The benefits of fresh produce plus the convenience of microwaving! Perfect.

I let John put the bag in the microwave, close the door, and push the buttons to start the microwave. This was immediately gratifying to him as the microwave lit up, started making noise, and we watched the carrots turn around and around inside. When the microwave beeped at the end of three minutes, John happily announced, "All done!" I took the bag out of the microwave, cut it open with the scissors, and poured the steamed carrots into a bowl so John wouldn't burn his hands.

"Oooo... carrots! Yay!"

"Do you like carrots, John?"

"Yeah, I like carrots."

Then came the fun part, and the part that might be my undoing.

Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot"

First, I'd like to provide a little context for you. John is two. I know a lot of people talk about the "terrible twos," but John really doesn't fit into this category. He's a pretty good kid. Actually, he's a pretty freaking amazing kid. He naps for 90 minutes to two hours every day and still sleeps a solid 11-12 hours every night. He always says "please" and "thank you." He rarely throws tantrums, as in, almost never. He does what he's told, he likes to help, he follows the rules, and he's about 50% potty trained. He doesn't bite. He doesn't hit. He listens well, takes turns, shares, and apologizes (with prompting) when he's done something wrong. Despite my ineptitude as a first-time mom, I've so far managed not to screw him up... which is a miracle all by itself.

One of the hallmark developmental stages for any toddler is what Erikson call's the "autonomy versus shame and doubt" phase. In this critical time of his development, John is learning to do things on his own. He's gaining an understanding of his individual autonomy and confidence in his abilities to go out and explore the world. He's learning to dress himself and undress himself. He's learning to put on his shoes. He's learning to brush his teeth (with a lot of mommy's help and supervision), put away his toys, and make choices. We let him pick out his clothes by giving him two options. "Do you want the robot pajamas or the dinosaurs?" He's learning to use the potty, which is a huge deal for toddlers. If you've never seen a group of toddlers interact before, it's quite amusing. One of them needs to go to the bathroom and all the rest of them have to go "help."

So he's learning all these important skills, which he'll need as he becomes progressively more independent, but he still lives in a world with a lot of limits. Mommy determines when he gets up and when he goes to bed. Mommy decides when we go outside and when we come back in. Mommy decides where we go and what we do and who we see. Even though we give John a few choices and a few opportunities to make decisions for himself, he still lives in a world ruled strictly by Mom and Dad.

Many, if not most, toddlers will react to these limitations by asserting their authority in one way or another. For some, it's the common behavior of responding to all communication with, "No!" For others, it's controlling and manipulating parental behavior by throwing temper tantrums to get what the toddler wants. A friend of a friend's three-year-old willfully poops in his pants when he's frustrated or angry with his parents (yikes!!). Toddlers have very little control over their lives, so they will sometimes try to take control in any way that they can. For John, it's food. This is where Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" comes into the story.

Your Life, Your Health

We are beginning a new health ministry at Christ Church. The mission of this ministry is to serve the Body of Christ by promoting the health, wellness, and wholeness of this congregation and the surrounding community. As a living witness to the healing power of God’s grace, this ministry promotes an holistic approach to health in several ways: by facilitating discussions of physical, emotional, and spiritual health issues; by increasing self-knowledge through educational sessions related to health and wellness; by empowering people to take control of their own health; and by fostering a health-conscious community. This ministry is focused on both health and healing, combining the ancient traditions of our Christian community with the knowledge and tools of modern healthcare.

There has been a longstanding, national conversation about the state of our current healthcare system, which primarily focuses on treating specific diseases and not on promoting general health. This approach to health care is fragmented, incomplete, and enormously expensive. The Church, however, is guided by Christ’s message of healing, wholeness, and community. When He sent the first disciples out in pairs, He instructed them to, “cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:9). As Christians, we are called to care for one another but we are also charged with the good stewardship of our own physical health. This health ministry does not seek to replace existing health services, but rather to work with community partners and resources to empower and educate, to advocate for health, and to care for people in need.

I invite you to join this new conversation by sending me your health questions and concerns, and by participating in our upcoming discussions of how we can achieve wholeness of body and spirit together. The direction this ministry takes will be shaped by the needs, interests, and concerns of this congregation.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.