Trying new things

Trying to get Aidan, 6, to try new foods is excrutiating. A long-time fan of six snack-like foods (cheese crackers, "Pirate's Booty," corn puffs, waffles with peanut butter, Goldfish crackers and pretzels), we had the sneaking suspicion that he might not have the best diet. On occasion, he'd eat a fruit bar, grilled cheese sandwich, some chicken nuggets and maybe a French fry or two, but that was really pushing it.

It was starting to become an issue, especially when we took him out places (even to kids parties) and had to bring bags of snacks with us as he wouldn't - or couldn't - eat other things.

We assumed it was behaviorial, that he just didn't want to, but then began to hear about kids with texture issues. We also noticed how he would gag on certain benign foods like apple sauce and would get very panicky if certain foods even touched his tongue. This was all very strange because, as a baby, he ate most things we gave him.

My wife wanted to figure out what was going on and we took him to a few specialists who all came to a similar conclusion, "He'll grow out of it."

So beginning this week we are introduing one new food for him to try. Today was yogurt and it wasn't an easy sell. There couldn't be even the tiniest fruit piece included; it had to be strawberry only; he still had to have his other snacks interspersed within spoonfuls of yogurt. During the entire experience, he looked like he was going to gag and desperately wanted to be done.

But he didn't cry, he didn't yell, he didn't say no. He tried and he made it through 3/4 of one container of yogurt. This is a success.

We have no idea what'll happen tomorrow, but good for him for trying and good for my wife for making us do this. As for me, I would probably have just stuck with the six snacks. Bad daddy!

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Aidan, 6, is smarter than Dad, 483

I am happy to say that, unlike most parents, I can actually pinpoint the date on which Aidan surpassed his father in the area of brilliance. It was yesterday, March 23, and it happened after a long day for everyone.

Upon returning home, beaten by life, I encountered my son asleep on the couch. My wife told me he had been snoozing for about a half-hour and that her attempts to waken him had been unsuccessful. I went over to him, said hello quietly and brushed his hair. He made a groan that seemed to say, "If you don't get away from me right now, I am going to kill you."

We Kaye men are known for our violent, if not overly wordy, groans.

He turned over and went back to sleep. A few minutes later I tried again, only to be met with an identical experience. By the third time, I just knelt down next to him and whispered, "Do you want me to carry you upstairs?" To me surprise, he nodded and wheezed a tiny "yes."

I scooped him up and made my way upstairs. Since he is 6 and I am old and feeble, maneuvering the stairs was not as simple as I would have liked. The fact that I didn't bash his head into the wall, banister, window or door was remarkable.

We crept into his room and I gently put him on the bed. As I was about to make my getaway, a small but strong voice said, "My eyes are open, you know."

Nex thing I knew, we were on our way back downstairs. He was too fully awake to be in bed; heck, it was even still light outside. But his groans returned and I offered (for reasons I cannot fathom) to carry him downstairs on my back. He was happy to take that ride, and within minutes we were back where we began.

How this proves that Aidan is smarter than me is the mere fact that, based on a groan, I carried him all the way upstairs, gently and slowly so as to not wake him. He was evidently very much wide awake and was seeing all this as a big joke. Then, after the fraud was revealed, I offered to carry him back downstairs.

These are not the actions of a healthy mind. These are the actions of a father, head over heels in love with his child. And when that happens, and when the dad realizes how helpless he is over it, the child has won. The student has become the master.

Next time, I'm making sure the little monster is asleep. Where's my ibuprofen?