For all these years my daughter have only stumbled a few times in her strict diet control. Once when she deliberately told her kindy teacher when she was 4 of 5, that she could eat bread and without checking with me first, her teacher gave her a piece which she devoured in seconds!
In between that time and now, I can't recall if she's sneaked behind our backs to eat foods that she's not allowed to, I believe not.
But a few weeks back, the mother of her good friend (yes, she's got a new buddy in school now who happens to be her classmate and car pool mate) told me that she bought junk food for Vic as a little reward because Vic said she could eat. I couldn't fault her, because she did not knew that Vic is not allowed these food. As for Vic, I merely reminded her that she is to strictly not eat any canteen food, unless I buy for her.
Shortly after that, this mother informed me that her daughter said Victoria ate ice cream in school, buying it with money given by another student. You will not believe the wrath in me when I brought her home. It was immediate probing and investigation. I made it very clear that sweet foods and junk food and any food that she KNOWS she is not allowed to eat, she should NOT eat. There in the living room, Mr R.O Tan came out to reemphasize my point.
I told her to inform us herself if she knew she had done wrong. Naturally we will be angry and she has to brave herself for any punishment that may come, but we would not be AS angry if we had found out from other sources.
Oh but that was not the end of the story.
Who's things?
A few days later I happen to check her pencil box. It is not like everyday that I check, and I saw two pens and a glue that does not belong to her. She immediately told me that her friends gave it to her, which also happened before in kindy.
I am not ruling out that she's really telling me the truth, because speaking with another parent, I realise that kids these days have this habit of giving their things away, or exchanging their items. But my direction to Vic since Day 1 is this:
"Do not take things from your friends, even if they offer you or insist. Tell them that their parents work hard to earn money to buy stationary for them. It will not be nice for their parents to find out that the items they bought, have been given away and your friends will get into trouble. Also, it is not right for us to take because you are blessed with MORE than enough. If ever you need anything, tell us your parents, and we will verify that need.
Friendship is NOT based on what things you give or receive. It is how your friends treat you or help you, and vice versa."
So I confiscated the 3 items and met her in school during recess time. Oh, the look on her face - she was totally expecting me, yet not wanting me there.
Cut the story short, I got her to point out which friend / table, and returned the items. She spoke to them.
In the very same visit, a friend of hers told me that Vic ate ice cream TWICE, not once. When I asked Vic, she kept to one time only but two friends confirmed that it was twice, which Vic later admitted.
So back home, she got a good telling off by Daddy this time. For simple reason that she hid the truth from us. I can understand her fear, but that should be no reason for not telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
We still love you
So finally that was it.
Recently, I made her bread from organic, stone milled whole wheat containing germ and bran, with a sprinkle of oregano and sea salt for a foccacia flavour.
First time attempt at this recipe proved to be easy with minimum efforts, thanks to a great weblink, hehehe. Most importantly, Vic loved it. A little treat for her once a week, but not all the time as we need to keep her carbo intake low.
Most importantly, my little girl was surprised and totally loved it! She ate it before and after dinner.
And here, my little girl with the bottom incisor teeth that finally came out as she was brushing her teeth. A week later, the other shaky bottom incisor teeth came out as she was laughing and talking in the car! According to her, it just plop out!
9 comments:
Oh dear...you are so me..SO garang. Just yesterday Philip did not want to go home. He said to the aunt, I dont want to go home because mummy will scold me for not doing my homework. He was sobbing. OF course we went home. I continue to scold cos I want to reinforce the importance of completing HW. So no dinner for him until he finished his 2 page writing. In between he did say he was hungry but NO..No food.
Anyway, continue to do what u r doing..to instill honesty - whether the truth is good or bad...honesty pays forward.
I would have been a little angry if my son did this. But sometimes I feel sorry for them. Once in a while, my son will cry asking why God did not remove his allergies despite endless prayers at night.
Benjamin is lactose intolerant and if he takes too much dairy, he gets tonsillitis. However, sometimes I give in and then try very hard to prevent his sore throat.
I understand how you feel. Because we love them so much, we need to be strict with their diet. We do not want to see them suffer resulting in just a scope of ice cream.
Pray that Vic will recover from this fully.
Wow....talk about tough love. But reckon we have to love them that way. Hope Vic learns what is to be done and not to be done and why. In the mean time, keep it up mummmy!
Can understand why you were so upset. I think the act of not telling about a wrongdoing if often worse than the wrongdoing itself.
she has no immediate reaction after taking the forbidden food? my nephew breaks out immediately in bad rashes and itches, so he doesn't dare take the food.
@mc, the reaction is not so much allergic but more of the effect on the candidas. Sugar is candida's favourite food, and already it is so hard to kill them off, by eating two ice creams, it may have resuscitate the whole colony or God forbid, breed even more!
@Ben and Shaun, I heard there is charcoal sticks from the organic shop which my friend is using to heal her tonsilitis. She "swears" it made a big difference!
It must be really hard for Vic to be tempted by the forbidden fruit. Especially surrounded by all her friends! Yet again, If I were u ...I would be 'mad' at her too...especially that she knew what is forbidden.
Hopefully is just at this kind of 'fruit'! It is hard as our kids get older and they are out there in the outside world...how long we can 'keep' an eye on them...u know?
I really sympathize with poor Vic as I can understand how she feels. I can't eat a lot of stuff for health reasons too and the simple rule of "cannot eat, must not eat" is easier said than done. Even us as adults will sometimes give in to temptation and "curi makan" something after abstaining from it for some time, what more kids.
It's ok for you to be angry and to punish her but as long as you make up and "compensate" her with something to cheer her up again (just like that bread you baked for her), I guess you are doing fine as a caring mum :)
Vic has been really great with following her diet restrictions but I supposed it's much harder now that she's in a less controlled environment compared to kindy.
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