“Yeah, no cheese, please. I want to be a superhero too.”
We’re preparing for a big change in our diet, at least for my son. The six-year-old may have an allergy to milk and dairy products, from cheese to chocolate and dulce de leche, a sort of caramel that he likes to scoop out by the spoonful. Milk, in its powdered form, goes into many products, from biscuits to cereals. And it contaminates (for my son, possibly) the ham cut with the same machine used for slicing cheese.
It’s a big change.
My son likes milk.
What to do?
My wife came up with a prep talk, telling him he’s going on a superhero diet of fruit, vegetables, juices and homemade bread, among other delicious foods. The stress being on the delicious. But no milk or cheese or even Honey Grahams, his favorite breakfast cereal. Our son didn’t hesitate much, or protest. He liked the idea, and that very day he asked for water instead of milk for his nightcap. He told me to prepare the oatmeal for the next morning with water and not milk. A glass of juice to drink along with it, please, he said. The superhero diet caught on with him and he’s keen.
His sister listened to all this dietary talk and came up to me at lunchtime as I prepared sandwiches. “No cheese in mine,” said the eight-year-old, adding that she wants her sandwich just like her brother’s.
I smiled.
That sure is solidarity. It’s superhero solidarity.
My daughter turned and raced to the dining table, as fast a superhero.
I haven’t told her about cake and chocolate, of course.
Funny story. You’re creating great memories for your kids. This is the type of childhood story they’ll tell their friends over and over.
Thanks.