Pavlov Would Be Proud

The Russian scientist, Ivan Pavlov would be so proud today, in a quirky sense of humor way, but proud nonetheless. Today, like so many others, we had baseball practice. And today, we also had our standard question and answer session over grabbing something to eat both before and after practice (notwithstanding the sub sandwiches they had about an hour before we left for said practice….). As a mom who continues to seek out survival methods in my parenting melodrama, I continue to prove Pavlov’s theory of “conditioned response” correct over and over again.

When we first had our precious sons, installing them in their car seats was trial enough, however, actually successfully driving somewhere with them beyond our driveway, harnessed in these apparatuses without hair raising screams was yet the greater challenge. After exhausting musical means to entertain my infant and toddler sons, I moved on to, what else? Food, of course.

We started out with the basic Cheerios collection, graduating to Goldfish crackers and a variety of other small finger foods. By the time they were full-blown preschoolers, we were easily up to a four course meal! But if it meant getting from point A to points B, C & D and back home again with some measure of sanity remaining, then a four course meal and then some it would be! Family visits and vacations via car travel could compare to a cruise ship’s all-you-can eat just to survive (advanced planning was a MUST) and, here’s the kicker: they both have always been in the lower fifty percentile of their age group for weight and height…………..you know, that CHART the pediatrician is constantly connecting the dots on. I gained weight over the years just watching them eat!

Fast forward several years to current day: we are on the go as every normal and busy family is today: errands that “require” my sons go (unwillingly I might add), field trips and primarily to and from the ball park. I repeat, we travel to and from the ball park. Granted, they are growing boys ~ I’ll give you that. However, I try to be a responsible mother and feed them regularly, though regularly these days is defined on an hour by hour basis. Most especially I feed them before we head to the ball field; before we leave the house. But within moments of entering the vehicle, seat belts fastened and regardless of how much food either have consumed prior to exiting the house, I hear, “Mom, can we stop at the gas station and get something to eat?” I check the rearview mirror and to my horror (insert Psycho movie knife stabbing music here), my sons are drooling!

I am raising Pavlov’s dogs!

Play Pavlov’s Dogs game: http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/index.html

Learn more about Ivan Pavlov: http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/readmore.html

Copyright Harriette K. Jacobs
All Rights Reserved. 2005.