My daughter is a year and a half old and her language abilities are starting to explode. But I have to admit I was puzzled when she starting saying “mamo.” It didn’t sound like Mommy and it wasn’t quite Mama, which is what she calls one of her grandmothers.
One day after work my husband told me that Lucy had picked a tomato from a plant in the backyard and ate it on her way to daycare. At the end of the car ride, all he could see was juice and seeds on the car seat straps.
Then one afternoon I was on the back deck and caught a glimpse of Lucy out of the corner of my eye. Standing on her tiptoes, I watched her stretch and strain to reach a bright red tomato high up on a plant growing in a container. It’s an image brightly burned in my memory now – my girl, dress blowing the breeze, grabbing a homegrown tomato on a late summer day.
The tomato plant was given to me by a neighbor, so I don’t recall the variety, but it’s bigger than a cherry tomato and smaller than the slicing kind. The main thing is – it is the perfect size for a toddler’s hand.
That’s how I figured out that “mamo” means tomato.
It was also a gentle reminder to keep offering Lucy a variety of foods. I’m determined (or maybe just stubborn) to make sure that my daughter does not slide down the slippery slope that says all kids only eat macaroni and cheese, hotdogs, and chicken tenders.
Research shows that you may need to offer a food 10-15 times before a child will eat it. And I’m getting close to the upper limit for broccoli, but I’m not giving up because Lucy surprises me all the time. Two nights ago she was eating grilled eggplant from my plate and last night she wanted my roasted asparagus. I had not originally offered her any because I never thought she’d like it. And boy, was I wrong.
So now when Lucy says “mamo”, I know she’s talking about tomatoes. I can’t wait for the next discovery.
