Red Light, Green Light

We all know how particular and fussy kids can be when it comes to eating food. Especially if that food happens to be fruit or vegetables. 

One day, we happened to offer our one year old an apple, and by some miracle, he said yes. Although this wasn't completely unheard of, it certainly was a rare opportunity to provide him with some preferable nutrition, so off I ran to the fridge. Snatching a shiny red apple from the fruit drawer, I hurriedly washed it and rushed back. But this was not entirely what our son had in mind. On this occasion, his apple of choice had to be of a different hue. Green to be exact. 

Back I rushed to the fridge. I anxiously searched each drawer and shelf for something that was even just a few shades greener. But this was not to be. We tried to convince him that he was mistaken, that his preference was actually for red apples that were sweeter and more delicious than their green counterparts. But again, this was in vain.

With each passing second our son grew more impatient and the chance of him declining the nutritious snack altogether, grew exponentially. Finally I gave up and returned to the kitchen, disappointed and defeated. Upon opening the fridge, I happened to see the greenest ingredient we owned.

Baby spinach. I plastered a few leaves onto the red apple's surface, entirely covering every inch of the despicable, undesirable red skin. 

"Look", I said jokingly, raising the apple into the air. "I've managed to find the final green apple that we have!" 

Giggling to myself, I went to return the apple to the drawer. But that's when it happened.

The expression on my son's face changed from one of defiance, to acceptance, his arm outstretched, requesting the new item of produce that I had just Frankensteined together.

For a second, I pondered whether he was pranking me or if this had really worked. I passed the "green" apple to him, spinach leaves falling as it went. But this didn't seem to deter him. He took the first bite. Then another. And continued until it was done. 

To this day, I still pat myself on the back for my level of ingenuity and resourcefulness. It is, and probably will be for quite some time, the pinnacle of my fatherly achievements.

-       Warren Bernard