Allergic to Grits?

I have mentioned before how much I loved Aislin's preschool of which she attended for 2 years. She loved her school too, with the exception of one dreaded grain- grits! Her school provided organic, hormone free food for the growing children. They shared breakfast, lunch and a snack around a round table family style. The children were not required to eat all that was on their plates, but they did have to taste everything at least once. Thanks to this policy I have a child that will try almost everything and she even eats salad!

Typically I would give Aislin a gogurt (yogurt in a stick) or Special K breakfast bar for the car ride to school since I dropped her so early. This worked well for grits days. Aislin hates grits! Her teacher knew that Aislin had breakfast before school most mornings and if Aislin had eaten a healthy breakfast before school she was allowed to pass on the grits.

One morning as I was loading Aislin in the car with her bag of cinnamon poptarts in hand, she asked carefully, "Mommy, will you please tell Ms. Pittman that I had oatmeal for breakfast?" I told her, "You didn't have oatmeal, you are having poptarts." She looked me directly in the eyes and explained, "I know I'm having poptarts, but Ms. Pittman will make me taste the grits if I don't say I had a healthy breakfast." I stopped buckling Aislin in and processed what she was telling me. I decided now was the time to explain that she wanted me to tell a lie for her and that I would not do that. I told her so. She bent her head and sighed. Good I thought. She understands.

After taking a breath, Aislin stated in an exasperated tone, "Fine. Then I will have to tell her I had oatmeal for breakfast." That little bugger! I quickly walked around the back of the car so that she would not see me trying to gain my composure. The rest of the way to school I explained to Aislin that it is not okay to lie. Weeks passed after this incident. Every morning that Aislin choose poptarts for her breakfast in the car I reminded her that it may be a grits day and did she want to take the risk of not having a healthy breakfast that morning?

Towards the end of the year as I was picking Aislin up from school, I asked her teacher if she had had a good day. Ms. Pittman stated yes she had had a good day, and then got this quizzical look on her face. She glanced down at Aislin and then back to me. She then carefully stated, with her eyebrows raised, "Aislin told me she was allergic to grits today." Oh my! That little stinker! Aislin bent her head down to keep me from seeing a slow and embarrassed smile.

I told her teacher that no, Aislin was not allergic to grits, but that she did indeed hate grits. That child, I love her to death, but she is certainly a handful!

I remembered this situation and had meant to blog about it earlier. Brent sent me this article yesterday which really reminded me about this "incident". My child.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/06/14/do-lying-children-have-bright-futures-as-bankers/