The Dramatic Dairy Delima

Clayton & Tootsie

The whole idea that food is grown, produced and worked for is something many kids are clueless about.

To many kids, food comes in packages that are stocked on shelves in stores. They never think that an animal actually DIED for their cheeseburger….that the milk they drink doesn’t just magically appear in coolers, their veggies, like baby carrots don’t come from the ground like that, but rather are quite dirty and go through several stages to become the final, pre-packaged product. Not knowing these things, I can fully understand why lots of kids have wasteful habits as they have no respect or worry over their food.

We did a garden last year that was semi successful until the swarm of mutant grasshoppers creeped in one night and literally stripped it bare in a matter of days….. It was a great lesson for the kids and they had a blast choosing their seeds and watching them grow. This year, no garden due to grasshoppers, but hopefully our new chicks will help with pest control so we can try again next year..

Anywho, when we brought home the goats I explained to the kids that we would have fresh milk from them after the babies were born.

My son, Clayton, was horrified beyond belief!

“But Mommy, I like the milk you BUY..I don’t want goat’s milk, that’s nasty”

“Wait…momma, where does the milk come from?!”

So I explain the udder, milking process ect. ect. I take it a step further by showing him various dairy goat pictures in a FFA book hoping this tactic would simplify things for him by providing a visual..

Instead his horror just grew!

“Momma!!!! That’s disgusting! I will NOT drink milk that comes out of one of THOSE (pointing to the full udder in the picture)!!” My normally quiet, 8 year old boy is nearly shrieking at me in protest!

I try to explain that cow’s milk also comes from an udder, only one that has four teats instead of two, but he won’t be persuaded. He is firm on his view point and nothing I say will change it.

Growing weary with this pointless drama I decide stern & firm is the route to go...

“You WILL try it, at least just once. If you truly do not like it, I will not make you drink it, but I will not have you protesting something you’ve never even tried.”

At this point, Clayton is so worked up he’s almost in tears… Frustrated, I ask him why he’s making such a huge fuss over something that hasn’t even happened yet..

He responds in a stuttering, tearful voice:

“But, but Momma…..I don’t want to. I just ca ca can’t! I can not drink out of the goat’s udder, I only want my milk in a glass!!” At which point he breaks down sobbing!

No, I should not have laughed, but the shock of it all was just too much…

Poor kid thought I was expecting him to go out, latch on to an udder and NURSE!! LOL

No dang wonder he was so worked up and upset, I surely would be too if I thought THAT whole awkward ordeal was looming in my future!

Gave the poor boy a hug, got my laughter under control and explained in great detail the entire process.

“Oh!! I can have it from a glass just like real milk??”

Shortly after this whole drama fest I held true to my word…Had 2 glasses of fresh, filtered cold goat’s milk and had the kid’s come inside to try it. Told them I wanted them to take at least two sips, and if they truly did not like it, they would not have to drink it ever again. I know some parents force foods on children…my mom did with me and brussle sprouts and liver and to this day I gag at the thought of them..If they will just TRY new items, I’m satisfied..Most times they like what they try, but in cases where they truly do not like it, I will not make them eat it….

Anywho…. I sit the kids down at the table, hand them the glasses and tell them to try it.

Clayton: “It looks like milk…”

Shayla: “It’s does not smell funny…you take a drink first Clayton..”

Clayton: “Oh no Shayla…I think we should count to 3, take a quick sip at the same time!”

Shayla: “Okay….if your sure…”

Clayton: “Don’t cheat Shayla and only make me drink it!

1.……2.……3

GULP!

Both look up slowly and I’m watching this whole silly tense fiasco waiting for their response…

“Well??”

Shayla: “Maybe we didn’t do it right…let’s try one more time, but take a drink, no sipping”

The process repeats and then I get a declaration, in unison….

“Momma!!! It taste just like REAL MILK!”

At which point you’d think I’d be happy, but the whole thing was just soo anti-climatic for them and you could see it all over their face. The gross, outrageous, horrifying finale they had geared up for just didn’t exist..

Shayla sampled hers again and declared she thought it might have sugar in it (it is sweeter and creamier than store bought milk)

The kids, being the thorough, investigating scientist that they are, made the very serious announcement that they really thought it had to be tried with chocolate before they could say it was good and once that was gulped down (they both finished 2 glasses) the whole thing was old news.

What can I say…they may be silly, they may be dramatic, but their mine and I wouldn’t trade them for anything!