Momma, the trickster

Ah, the length mothers go to, to get their toddlers to drink milk. 

So. I was doing the usual tai-chi routine with my little dude. I push the milk to him, he pushes back. I push the milk to him, he pushes back. We continue our session for one whole minute. 

You think one whole minute is short? Try offering a drink and getting it pushed back, then repeating the process for one whole minute. Time yourselves. 60 seconds. No less. You'll want to go do something else. Anything. 

I sat back and scowled at the little guy who was giving me a smug smile. My three-decade-old processor (brain) was working furiously. 

Then, I had a brainwave. Ha. 

You know the Nestle Milo breakfast cereal? Yeah, that one in the picture up there. I took one pack out of the food cupboard....

"Bee-jack! Bee-jack!!!" The smug look on his face was gone and replaced with excitement...... and drool. 

I took ONE cereal. Just one. It's in the picture up there too, maybe it's so small, you didn't notice it before. Look again. 

I took ONE cereal, put it into his sippy cup filled with milk, and put the rest back into the cupboard.

"Bee-jack! Bee-jack!!!" His eyes were all on his sippy cup now. 

"Yes WX. Finish your milk and you will get the biscuit inside....." came my sly reply. I put the sippy cup in front of him. 

He grabbed it with both hands and looked into the cup. The "biscuit" was floating tantalizingly in a sea of milk. 

"Maak!! Bee-jack!!!" 

"Yes! Finish your milk and get your biscuit!!" I confirmed. 

He started gulping down the milk. Halfway through, he looked at the cup again to check if his "biscuit" was still inside. 

"Maak!! Bee-jack!!!" He said, looking at me very seriously. 

"Yes. Milk. Biscuit." I grinned. I'M THE ONE IN CONTROL NOW. 

He finished his milk. And got his one little "biscuit". 

Small sacrifice for high returns. I am so proud of myself today.