Crunchy Beans

Yesterday afternoon I was on the phone with my sister as Dexter was playing after his nap. I had set out a bowl of dehydrated green beans as his snack. I explained to my sister how I try to put out a healthy snack every other day but he really prefers goldfish or a teething biscuit. I told her that I believed if he was hungry, he would eat the healthy snack and this would set him up for good eating habits (unlike my own). After a few rounds of taking a "crunchy bean" out of his bowl, putting it in his mouth, making a face, and putting it back in the bowl, he started feeding them to me one by one. I ate each one with enthusiasm, trying emphasize how yummy it was. Eventually, he tired of feeding me and went off to play with his alphabet train. Soon after, I noticed him going back to the bowl again and again. I proudly told my sister that he's now eating the crunchy beans! "See, if I don't give him the choice, he'll eat the healthy stuff," I bragged. My sister was amazed and reinforced my sense that I was getting it right as a mother. No sooner had I hung up the phone than I noticed Dexter come back to the bowl, take a crunchy bean in his hand, walk over to the floor vent, and drop it through the slats! I ran over only to find the majority of beans from the bowl scattered under the vent. He had not been eating the crunchy beans after all! My sister is going to love this when I tell her!! Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my plan of rotating healthy snacks with more junky stuff. I'm just going to keep a closer eye on what he's doing with those snacks!