Yeah, That’s How You Establish Good Child-Food Relationships

This happens to me when I am about four or five years old. I don’t remember much of it, but the story is infamous in my family, so I know it well.

On a Friday afternoon, my parents drop my brother and me off at our aunt’s house to stay the weekend with her. When dinner time comes around:

Aunt: “Everyone has to eat a full bowl of veggies before I serve the main course.”

My bowl of veggies is full of steamed green beans. I HATE green beans and refuse to eat them. I sit at the table all night while everyone else eats their veggies, then spaghetti, and then chocolate cake for dessert. But I absolutely refuse to eat the green beans.

The next morning:

Aunt: “Here’s your green beans, [My Name].”

Again, I refuse. My parents do this with me to attempt to get me to eat foods I dislike because I am a picky eater. However, my aunt continues to offer me nothing but water and this bowl of green beans for every. Single. Meal. All weekend.

My parents return for us Sunday night to find me throwing up water in the bathroom, dazed and tired from not having eaten anything in over two days and only having had water, not even milk or juice.

We were never allowed to stay at that particular aunt’s house overnight ever again.

The kicker is that two weeks later, my parents made dinner with a side dish of green beans in seasoned rice and I loved it! My mom called my aunt right away to tell her all she had to do was season the d*** things.