Kerrigan:

Mom, spit it (food) out because it’s hard.

Elle:

You don’t spit things out because it’s hard. You just have to chew harder.

Just like I was when I was a little girl, I used to pocket my food for hours. My daughter does the same when she becomes too busy with playing.

Pocketing is when you keep your food in your mouth because it’s just too hard to swallow.

Today, I teach my kid not only how to finish her food in the hopes of teaching her how to persevere when things and situations become too difficult.