This one'll make you laugh - The Mail online (what would I post about if not for the dear old Mail?) is reporting today of a young girl with Lachanaphobia. Apparently she discovered this condition (cough cough) as a toddler and when it continued into adulthood she realised it was a full blown phobia which may require psychological re-programming to get rid of.
"Oh poor girl" you're thinking. But wait till you hear what Lachanaphobia is - fear of vegetables. You know - the one most of us have had to deal with if we're parents? Yes that one. Didn't know it had a proper medical name did you?
My middle child's been claiming he's allergic to vegetables for years and indeed some of the dark green ones literally make him gag. So what do I do? Serve him the vegetables he can eat without hurling, like cauliflower and carrots, thus developing his palate.
I don't normally go in for finger-pointing when it comes to raising kids, but in this case I think the parents did their daughter a disservice by allowing her "phobia" to continue.To quote:
"Vicki first discovered her curious affliction when as a toddler she would refuse to eat her greens and break out into a tantrum. Her parents would try and force her to eat her greens but from a very young age they soon realised the effect they were having."
All I can say is that was one smart toddler, and I'm glad my kids don't read the Mail online.
I have a fear of veggies and exercise and house cleaning and laundry!
ReplyDeleteMy toddler has a fear of doing as he's told. I wonder if he's going to need psychological counseling?
ReplyDeleteAnd actually, when I was a kid I really couldn't eat certain vegetables (among other things) without gagging. It's the texture. I eat them just fine as an adult (except brussel sprouts, never gonna happen.)
Yeah, Littleboy 1 has that phobia of green vegetables. And they are both phobic of going to bed on time, being strapped into their car seats and tidying up their toys. Clearly they need lots of counselling.
ReplyDeletegood grief what will they think of next!!
ReplyDeleteAll children have that condition at some stage in their lives then!!
Check out this blog for another amazing thing: http://tracey-craftyscraps.blogspot.com/2009/11/happy-sunday.html
Gill in Canada
That girl has been mollycoddled into thinking she has suffered some psychological trauma due to vegetables and now has a phobia for them. What she needs, or needed, is a good spoon full of Brussels sprouts followed by a spoon full of applesauce.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable. I agree, a smart kid.
ReplyDeleteOn the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning they had experts advocating 'tough love' to secure a successful adulthood for your child. Sounds familiar? Wasn't this what our parents did with us? Told us what to do and told us 'no, you can't' occasionally.
Funny old world. xx
I'm definitely not going to be showing that article to my kids. You didn't see one about someone with a sugar phobia did you?
ReplyDeleteHa! I knew sprouts were evil.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Some parents...
ReplyDeleteHah! My son (who previously ate anything and everything) has suddenly decided he doesn't like all kinds of things, but especially green things. Too bad. I keep serving them anyway. Preferably chopped up and mixed in with other things to make it harder for him to avoid them! Lachanaphobia indeed!
ReplyDeleteAA - I used to pride myself on the fact that my 6 year old would literally eay anything as a baby and toddler. Now he seems to be narrowing his palate every week, declaring he doesn't like things he ate the day before. Why oh why?
ReplyDeleteOh. My. God. What will they think of next. I hope my 16 yr old doesn't see that article. She went from being a fantastic eater as a littlie, to being a pain as a tweenager and teenager. (She reckons seafood makes her gag - apart from calamari - figure that one...) And she carries on like an obstinate toddler over eating particular veggies. Why oh why indeed!
ReplyDelete(Fran, when you find out the name of that housecleaning phobia, can you let me know - because I've definitely got that!)
OMG PURLEASE! Whatever next!
ReplyDeleteCan you keep your voice down? If Boy #1 hears you, I'm screwed!
ReplyDeleteHard to believe. did they really fall for that one?
ReplyDeleteSprouts, properly cooked, are God's own vegetable. Simply glorious. Our youngest (10) claims to be "allergic" to cauliflower and broccoli stalks - but we just whizz them up in the Thermomix and add to sauces and he doesn't even know he's getting them! Job done and a fortune saved in clueless counselling later in life.
ReplyDeleteThe Artist Formerly Known As The Youngest (now The Middle Child) has been a vegetarian for three years. And she doesn't like mushrooms, eggplant/aubergine or zucchini. Can't begin to tell you how difficult that makes life...
ReplyDeleteI've been pureeing spinach into pasta sauce for years. It actually makes it taste better. And yes, we have the would-be vegetarian except all she seems to want is cottage cheese. I suppose her bones and teeth will be good!
ReplyDeleteI have a non veg eater to. Funny though she loves pumkin pie. Weird.
ReplyDelete