“No, mommy, no!” Johnny cried as he flopped onto the floor, his screams filling the room. Marla Evans glanced at her watch, worried that a full-blown tantrum might make her late again.
Johnny had been happily attending daycare for two years, but over the past week, he had been acting up, pleading with Marla not to take him there. After speaking with his pediatrician—who explained that such behavior was common during the ‘terrible threes’—Marla was at a loss.
“Stop it!” she found herself shouting, alarmed by the terror in her son’s eyes. Sensing something was seriously wrong, she knelt beside him and gently coaxed him into her lap. As Johnny wept, burying his face in her, Marla realized this was more than an ordinary tantrum. Rocking him until his sobs subsided, she softly asked, “Why don’t you like daycare anymore? Are the other kids mean?” But Johnny wouldn’t answer. With a heavy sigh, she added, “Sweetie, mommy needs to work, but I promise I’ll pick you up early today.”
Instantly, Johnny sat up in her lap and anxiously asked, “No lunch? No lunch, mommy?” The idea of missing his meal troubled Marla.
At work, she requested the afternoon off to handle this personal issue—a favor her boss, also a mom, readily granted. Instead of arriving before lunchtime as promised, Marla decided to drop by during the meal.
Walking into the dining room, she saw all the children seated at their tables eating. Quickly, she spotted Johnny—but he wasn’t alone. A woman she didn’t recognize was sitting beside him. As Marla watched, the stranger grabbed Johnny’s spoon, scooped up some mashed potatoes, and pushed it toward his mouth, exclaiming, “Eat!” Johnny, however, shook his head vigorously, his jaw clamped shut while tears streamed down his face.
“Open your mouth and eat!” the woman demanded sharply. When Johnny finally opened his mouth in protest, the teacher forcefully shoved the spoon in. Horrified, Marla witnessed him choke and spit out the food, and she couldn’t take it any longer. Storming into the room, she cried, “Get away from my son!”
Keeping her anger in check, Marla continued, “Can’t you see Johnny’s had enough? He’s a healthy boy, but he doesn’t eat much. As an educator, you should understand how traumatizing force-feeding can be. Forcing food into a child like that is simply unacceptable—you should know better. These kids aren’t puppets for you to control!”
The teacher blushed deeply and began to stammer, “I never…” before Marla interjected, “If this happens again, I will make sure you lose your job! I’m not sending my son to daycare to be mistreated!”
After having a long talk with Johnny, the next morning passed without any tantrums. For the following two weeks, Marla visited the daycare during lunch to keep an eye on things, and the teacher never again tried to force Johnny to eat. Soon enough, his cheerful demeanor returned.