Try It, You’ll Like It

Day 104

Every month, the Sycamore Wellness Community hosts a fruit or vegetable tasting at my boys’ elementary school to introduce the kids to a new healthy option.  The hope is they’ll choose carrots over candy.  I think this is optimistic but love and support the idea behind the plan. 

Last year I volunteered every month.  This year I help out less, not because of the program but because I’ve learned to say “no”. 

I love to help out at the kids’ school but last spring burnt out and felt angry at being one of the same “go-to” parents.  Clearly, the only one who put me in this position was me so I felt it was also me that needed to fix it.  I still volunteer but space out my obligations across my kids’ grades and only say “yes” when I want to and not out of a panicked belief that if I don’t no one else will.

This month’s tasting features butternut squash.  Two other moms arrive early to cube, bake and season the squash.  It’s ready when I arrive to help.  My job is to convince and cajole kids to “just try it”.  I use jokes, peer pressure, and promises that it tastes “sweet, just like candy!”  I get lots of takers. 

I also help pass out napkins and stamp kids hands with a dancing apple and the words ‘I tried it!’. 

The funniest things motivate kids to do things.  For me, I’d need more than a stamp to do the laundry or clean the bathroom.  But if a stamp did it for me, I wonder, what would it say? 

I cleaned it up!

You made it GERM-FREE!

Yeah for you! 

It’s Starbucks Time!