MUSTARD

Kelsey was about three years old and as a rule on Sunday nights after church we would go out to dinner with my mom and dad. This night the choice was Chinese and we all enjoyed a good bowl of rice and an egg roll now and again. This happened to be a new diner and we were all anticipating a scrumptious meal.

Kelsey loved fried rice and as we all waited for our order she was scoping out the condiments. You could see her wheels turning as she decided she would have mustard on her rice this time. "Kelsey, that is really spicy and you won't like it" I told her firmly. "No, no I like it. I will eat it" she said in her three year old voice. Grandad tried to tell her, dad tried to tell, Grammy tried to tell her that she would not like it. All comments were meant with stubborn resistance.

Finally, I decided the only way to convince her was to let her experience the consequence. I gave her the mustard and a choice and she poured it on her rice abundantly and took a big bite.

Her eyes bulged out of her head and she started fussing and fuming and trying to wipe the rice out of her mouth with a napkin. She drank water. She used her sleeve to wipe away the heat. She whined all the way home. She brushed her teeth when she got home. I tucked her into bed and she was silently whimpering.

She has never tried mustard in an Asian establishment to this day. Lesson learned.