“No! Broccoli is yucky!” declared two-and-a-half year old Macy Arnold on Wednesday. Crossing her arms, she refused to eat the vegetable and sat in her highchair defiantly.
“She used to be such a compliant child,” said Macy’s mother, Evelyn. “A good girl who would do whatever we asked.” Evelyn went on to talk about how her daughter went to bed early, used the potty like a big girl and put her shoes on before going outside. “Now there’s no pleasing her. She seems to be staging some kind of revolt.”
Child psychologist Devon Harrison believes Macy has found her voice. “I think the child has realized that she’s not powerless. She does not care for broccoli, nor does she care to go to bed when the privileged adults get to stay awake and watch TV.” Harrison said Macy is bravely confronting the source of her belittlement and demanding to be heard.
“The other morning we were late leaving for daycare, but Macy didn’t want to put her toys away,” said Evelyn. “When I told her it was time to leave, she looked me right in the eye and peed her pants. That was no accident.”
Harrison has suggested that Evelyn and her husband Tim try respecting Macy’s opinions and working with her toward a mutually beneficial solution.
“That woman is nuts,” said Tim. “She probably also thinks I should let the dog pick out his own food at the pet store. Children need boundaries.”
Harrison disagrees. “Boundaries? That sounds a lot like a fence; one that separates those in power from those denied power.”
At press time, Tim and Evelyn were seen carrying a kicking and screaming Macy to the car. They planned to take her to swimming lessons.