Alex Ate A Hot Dog

Yesterday, Alex's class went to the Gloucester Fair and as part of their experience, they were treated to a lunch of hot dog, juice and ice cream.

Alex apparently gobbled up the hot dog in under a minute.  The same kid who resisted Cheerios for over 2 years and every other solid food as if we'd spiked it with cyanide, ate a hot dog without any preparation or persuasion.

I am thrilled.  But also having a little trouble with it.

I've worked incredibly hard to introduce new foods to him.  I've patiently altered texture infintesimally over months and years to gradually coax him into more and more solid options.  I've been screamed at, had stuff thrown at me and still persisted.

Yet now, it seems as if all the school has to do is put something in front of him and he'll eat it.

I am grateful and happy for him.  In the end, it's his development which is the most important thing.

But I can't help feeling a little superfluous.  I find myself wondering if I could have had equal success with a different approach.  Or did I set up the platform for their success?  Has his aversion been as strong as I thought it was?  A lot of questions with no real way to know the answers. 

It makes me wonder about other things I've had long-term trouble with: specifically toilet training.

I'm sure I'm not the first parent to struggle with something and then see their child master it under someone else.  That's why teachers and leaders and other adults are important and necessary.  But there's a tiny selfish part which wants to be the one to do it.

I suspect this is something I'll just have to get used to.  I've done a lot of work with him but I may be starting to see the limits of what I personally can accomplish by myself.  To go further, I'll have to work in concert with other people, which means sometimes they will get the glory.

But Alex will reap the benefits.  And I'm all kinds of good with that.