Me: What is your snack?
Sophia: Seaweed.
Me: You're sharing seaweed with your friends?
Sophia: Yes! I really like seaweed.
Me: I hope your friends like seaweed, too....
Who brings a pack of Nagai's Roasted Seaweed Sushinori to pass around at preschool? We live in wintry Northern Michigan, not Japan. Kids here can barely look at their veggies much less eat edible algae with a papery texture and a fishy aftertaste.
Seriously, I like seaweed, too, but I felt like talking my daughter out of this bad idea.
Never mind. Laura told me that she had helped Sophia cut them into squares last night so she could bring them to daycare. It was Sophia's idea. She was excited about it. The plan was in place.
Oh well, I suppose that peer rejection is an inevitable and necessary part of a child's social development.
When we arrived at her daycare, Sophia loudly announced that she brought seaweed snacks for everyone! I winced a little. Her teacher couldn't have been happier. She explained to me that the kids' favorite book to read the past week was Seaweed Soup, so they all would be looking forward to sharing the snack that day.
Sure enough, my daughter reported that everybody ate it and liked it. Her friends liked it. Her teachers liked it. Rowan didn't think he would like it, but then he tried it and changed his mind. Everybody except Dillon liked it, but Dillon wouldn't even try it.
So blow me down! Who would have thought that preschoolers would tolerate seaweed? The power of literature to compel little ones to eat what otherwise would have caused immediate gag reflexes is truly amazing. Oh, me of little faith.
