Father Perplexed Why Daughter Holds Off Eating Until He Witnesses Mother-in-Law’s Behavior

Good Intentions Bad Decisions

“I don’t want to anymore,” cried Elizabeth, “It hurts my mouth.” Jason listened in on what was going on in the bathroom, alarmed at his daughter’s cries. He heard the gentle coos of his mother-in-law trying to soothe the girl to no avail.

Suddenly, there was a ruckus, the sound of someone falling, and Suzie’s harsh reprimand. Unable to stand it anymore, Jason knocked twice and entered. The scene revealed to him was something he could have never conjured up in a million years.

It explained so much about his daughter’s behavior these days, but it was also not enough. He had no idea what was going on, and he wanted answers. The first one is why his mother-in-law felt she could reprimand his daughter in her own home. But little did Jason know just how much she’d anger him.

Flooding

For the past six months, Jason’s mother-in-law, Suzie, has been staying with their family due to a flood that made her home unlivable. His wife and mother-in-law got along wonderfully, and they even ganged up on him sometimes, which brought great relief and happiness to his heart.

Suzie was also a wonderful grandmother and spent so much time with Elizabeth that they had become inseparable. It was almost to a point where she’d even forgotten she had parents and not just a grandmother.

Along with how much she helped around the house and with Elizabeth, Jason was glad his mother-in-law was around. She was getting old and he would be devastated if something happened and they hadn’t gotten all this time together. At first, it had been a blessing having the extra help around with his daughter, Elizabeth. But in recent weeks, it had become more of a problem than a solution.

Gradual Trouble In Paradise

Elizabeth had always been a picky eater, but her aversion to food had achieved new heights. Jason was no stranger to her tricks of getting her mother to make her a hearty mac ‘n cheese as opposed to the chicken and veg they were supposed to eat, but he was a stranger to her whimpers and crying with every bite.

He didn’t think his mother-in-law had anything to do with this sudden change, but it had started to occur as soon as she’d moved in, and he could not deny the fact that it had only increased with her time here.

At first, he’d thought that she might be feeding Elizabeth some sweets secretly, and he could have excused it as a grandma trying to do grandmotherly things and bond with her grandchild, but it was starting to affect Elizabeth’s behavior and, therefore, started to affect their home.

Daddy’s Girl

Elizabeth had always been her father’s daughter, and they often did things together. Their favorite at the moment was going to the ice cream parlor down the road for a banana boat every single Friday afternoon. There, they could joke and bond a bit because Jason often had to work away from home.

It was a habit he had decided to adopt to ensure that his relationship with his child was not impacted by his work obligations, and judging by their strong bond, it had worked. Elizabeth loved the ice cream parlor with its on-theme decorations, banana split booths, ice cream cone slide, and especially the staff that always added an extra heap of her favorite rainbow sprinkles.

However, ever since her behavioral problems started with dinner time, he had held out hope that this might not extend to their ice cream trips, but alas, it has. Suddenly, Elizabeth did not want to go out for an ice cream cone or even a milkshake. It broke his heart, and he wondered what could have happened.

Strange Things Afoot

Saturday night at dinner was like no other. Elizabeth was screaming to the point where Jason felt like they were inflicting some sort of abuse on her for forcing her to stay and eat. He was never one for forcing his child to do anything, but she had lost so much weight and continued to avoid eating that he felt like he had no choice.

His wife had tried everything. She no longer wanted to eat even the mac ‘n cheese, not even the smallest helping with the gooiest cheese. It was as if she had no appetite, no craving for food or anything of the sort. She didn’t even drink the soda her mother-in-law put on the table for her.

Jason was getting concerned; if it didn’t let up and she lost more weight than she already had, it would become a health concern for him. His daughter was already petite as it was, and now that she’d lost so many pounds already, he could only imagine how bad it could become for her health.

Health Concerns

Elizabeth’s weight was now at a point where Jason wondered if there might be something wrong with her health. He’d heard of some children being unable to eat or keep food down when they were seriously sick, and he wondered if Elizabeth was the same. She hadn’t been sick besides the common flu ever in her five years of life, so there was no way to tell how she might respond if it were a serious health concern.

That Monday, Louise, his wife, took their daughter to their physician for a general checkup, seeing as she didn’t show any signs of illness like fever, body aches, stuffy nose, and other symptoms. According to the doctor, she was in perfect health and might just be going through a phase where she didn’t want anything. They were to give her whatever she wanted to eat besides sugar in order to keep her weight up.

While Jason was relieved to hear it wasn’t a mysterious illness, he still couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of uneasiness. The doctor had told them to feed her anything, but the problem wasn’t picky eating—it was getting her to eat anything at all.

Ultimatum

That evening, Jason decided that he’d had enough. He went to the kitchen, boiled potatoes and scrambled eggs, spiced them up, and mashed the potatoes afterward. At dinner, instead of serving her the steak and vegetables the rest of them ate, Jason set the plate of mashed potatoes and eggs—two of her favorite things—in front of Elizabeth and gave her a stern look.

“If you don’t finish at least half of your plate tonight, you’re not allowed to go to Sarah’s sleepover,” Jason said as he took a seat, grabbing his utensils and motioning towards her plate with them. Elizabeth stomped her foot under the table in defiance but soon dug into her food after one stern look for Jason again.

All of them held their breaths, the air filled with anticipation as they watched Elizabeth take her first bite, chew a bit, and swallow. It felt like hours went by while Jason waited for a reaction—any reaction, good or bad—when finally, she burst out in tears and threw her spoon down.

To No Avail

Laura, his wife, immediately scooped Elizabeth into her arms to soothe the girl. She was hiccupping and holding her cheeks, shrieking profusely. It was unbearable seeing his child like that, in such distress that she turned blue in the face with her screaming.

Jason shook his head and stood, taking Elizabeth from his wife so that she could eat. Laura kissed her on the cheek as they left the room, his daughter still crying into his shoulder and kicking her legs. He supposed he had to discipline her for having a tantrum, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Jason couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong. He knew children were prone to periods of difficulty where they acted out, but somehow, he knew this wasn’t the case. He was growing increasingly more worried every time she didn’t eat, and he needed to fix it. She weighed less and less every day, and he was scared she would enter dangerous territory.

Further Testing

“I think we should take Elizabeth back to the doctor’s,” Jason said as he slid beneath the covers of their bed. Laura shut her book and focused her attention on him; her brow furrowed with concern. “She can’t go on like this. She’s lost, like, what? Seven pounds? I’m getting worried.”

Laura nodded, “We need to take her for another checkup. I’m not too sure that she’s okay, either. Earlier, when she was screaming? She was kicking and writhing too—do you think it might be something internal?”

Jason shook his head, “No, it isn’t that serious. Otherwise, there would’ve been more symptoms, but it could definitely be a pain. Will you take her tomorrow?” Laura nodded and kissed him goodnight, but he doubted whether either of them had gotten a wink of sleep.

Writhing Pain

A shriek of agony shot like an arrow through the night, dragging everyone in the home from their sleep. Jason threw the covers off him and ran towards his daughter’s room, where Elizabeth screamed loud enough to wake the dogs in the neighborhood. Jason’s heart skipped a beat.

When he switched on the light in her bedroom, it stopped beating completely. Her cheeks were tear-streaked, and she was kicking her legs under the covers. Laura pushed in behind him, immediately taking a seat next to Elizabeth and rubbing her back.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asked, exchanging a worried glance with Jason. But Elizabeth kept crying inconsolably. Finally, Jason had had enough. He went to the kitchen, yanked open the cupboard, and grabbed the ibuprofen. If their theory was correct, the entire house would be better for it.

Theory

Jason didn’t typically like giving his daughter any medicine without knowing what was truly wrong, but he couldn’t take it anymore. She was writhing in pain and unable to eat and now sleep—he needed to help her.

If Laura’s theory about her being in pain was right, then the ibuprofen would help, and if not, it would still help her sleep more peacefully. He couldn’t take this anymore. She wasn’t eating, and she was constantly crying; he needed to help his daughter the best way he could.

But hours later, it seemed like it had finally kicked in. Elizabeth was peacefully asleep and no longer writhing in pain—which is what he now knew plagued her so.

The Unveiling

The next morning, as Jason brewed his morning coffee, his mother-in-law Suzie came into the kitchen, looking unusually bothered. She glanced at him, her eyes flickering, and then quickly turned her attention to the coffee pot. Jason couldn’t help but notice her nervous demeanor.

Taking a sip of his coffee, he cleared his throat, “Mom, we need to talk.” His mother-in-law turned to him, her expression shifting from confusion to curiosity. “What’s on your mind?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Jason recounted the events of the past few weeks, from Elizabeth’s sudden aversion to food to her recent episodes of pain. As he spoke, his mind flitted over the countless meals his daughter had missed and the countless tears she’d cried. His heart broke.

Riddled With Worry

Finally, Jason reached the part about the previous night’s ordeal. “I gave Elizabeth some ibuprofen last night,” he said, dragging a hand through his hair. “And it seemed to help with her pain. But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to this than meets the eye.” Suzie’s eyes widened slightly, and Jason felt a surge of frustration. “Do you know anything about what’s been going on?” he asked.

Suzie shook her head, “I do think she had pain, but I don’t know why it might be.” Jason closed his eyes in frustration, “The pain is an easy thing to fix with some medicine, but I’m worried about her poor eating. Wasn’t there a time Laura ate poorly? What did you do?”

His mother-in-law shrugged, “Yes, but every child goes through that phase. She got over it in a week and started gobbling down mashed potatoes like no one’s business. That isn’t the case for Elizabeth, though.”

Round Two

His conversation with his mother-in-law had left him with even more questions than answers or solutions. He had already called for another appointment with her pediatrician, but what if they sent them away again? What would he do then? He couldn’t just keep giving her medicine. He doubted that it was healthy.

At this point, Jason felt desperate. He was willing to take her to all of the doctors in the world if it meant Elizabeth got better. He couldn’t let her continue to eat so poorly; her little body couldn’t handle it. It had already been too long that she’d been eating so poorly, and it would only be a matter of time before it became serious.

Elizabeth was quiet and obedient at her doctor’s appointment; however, her tiredness was evident. She was frequently yawning, the black circles under her eyes were becoming darker by the day, and her little face looked scrawny.

No Coincidence

“She isn’t displaying any discomfort around her abdominal area, which leads me to believe that it can’t be internal pain. I’d suggest keeping a close eye on her to find out what exactly it is that’s causing her pain,” the doctor said, “It’s also important to remember that children sometimes go through phases of poor eating habits and that it might correct itself.”

Elizabeth’s eyes flickered to her father, their depths displaying such fatigue that he almost scooped her up and took her home. “With all due respect, doctor, I can’t take that for an answer. There is something wrong with Elizabeth. She’s writhing in pain every night.”

A flash of annoyance entered the doctor’s face, but it was gone before Jason could call him on it. Nash had been their doctor since Elizabeth was born, and had even treated Laura when she’d been pregnant and sick.

Mouthful Of Pain

“I know you’re frustrated, Jason. But I’ve checked her top to bottom—there’s nothing wrong. It has to be some kind of psychological pain or something a GP can’t see. If you want an in-depth exam, then you’ll have to go somewhere else. I can refer you to someone?”

Jason’s temper ignited like a fire. “What haven’t you checked? Did you look between her toes? Her throat? Her fingers? Check everything again, then. I’m not leaving without an answer or a solution, Nash.” The doctor’s mouth tightened with displeasure, but he relented. The room was eerily silent as he examined Elizabeth again, checking between her toes, behind her ears, her fingers—everything.

The doctor was silent as he searched her mouth, pulling her lips away and having her lift her tongue, something Jason hadn’t even considered before Nash whistled, “I’m no dentist, but I can tell you that doesn’t look too good to me. Her teeth…they’re…I don’t know, but I’d suggest taking her to the dentist as soon as possible.”

Call Ahead

“What do you mean? What’s wrong with her teeth?” Jason asked, scooping Elizabeth up when Nash was done examining her. The doctor shook his head again, “I can’t tell you for sure, but I’ll call ahead and see if they have an opening for you. It’s not life-threatening, but she’ll want some pain relief for sure.”

Jason frowned, irritated at the vague answer but still too thankful for the help to say anything. Why hadn’t he thought to check her mouth in the first place? His daughter had never had trouble with her teeth, and so he’d never had any concerns about that. She always brushed her teeth and used mouthwash—she did everything right, so why would she be having oral health problems?

“You guys can take her at two o’clock. But bring the guy a sandwich; he’s an old friend doing me a favor during his lunch.” Nash smiled and then pinched Elizabeth’s cheek softly. “He’ll take good care of her.”

Dental Appointment

“Her tooth enamel is non-existent,” Doctor Klein said, “That could explain the teeth sensitivity and pain. You said she’d not been eating well?” he sat back in his chair and glanced at Jason. He shook his head, placing a hand on Elizabeth’s ankle in support.

“That’s highly due to this. Tooth-enamel is there to protect your teeth from cavities, temperature—all sorts of things. So in Elizabeth’s case where it’s absent, it might cause tooth sensitivity that in turn causes immense pain and lack of appetite.”

The doctor removed his gloves and stood, moving to his computer right behind the chair Elizabeth lay in. “Get her toothpaste for toddlers and babies that has less fluoride but enough to start the remineralization process. In English—it replaces the tooth enamel lost.”

Startling Realization

While Jason was relieved that they had found the cause of his daughter’s pain, he was still concerned as to how it might have happened. She’d gone from never having dental problems to having such severe problems they’d need to start an entire process to fix it. Something was fishy, and he didn’t know what.

Per the doctor’s instructions, Jason fed Elizabeth room-temperature food for the following two weeks, but when she still did not improve, Jason knew something had to be seriously wrong. They’d bought her all-new toothpaste and toothbrushes and even got her specialty mouthwash—something sinister was going on.

It was only the following week, right when he’d woken up, that Jason realized what had been going on. While he had expected something, he could never have imagined the truth that would come to light as he listened from outside the bathroom.

Granny

“I don’t want to anymore,” cried Elizabeth, “It hurts my mouth.” Jason listened in on the bathroom, alarmed at his daughter’s cries. He heard the gentle coos of his mother-in-law trying to soothe the girl to no avail.

Suddenly, there was a ruckus, the sound of someone falling, and Suzie’s harsh reprimand. Unable to stand it anymore, Jason knocked twice and entered. The scene revealed to him was something he could have never conjured up in a million years.

It explained so much about his daughter’s behavior these days, but it was also not enough. He had no idea what was going on, and he wanted answers. He wanted to know why his daughter was being so harshly reprimanded behind his back. Little did he know just how angry he would get.

Ignorance Is Bliss

“Suzie, what are you doing?” he asked harshly, ushering Elizabeth out of the bathroom. The girl still had her toothbrush in hand, and his mother-in-law was still kneeling on the ground, some sort of box in her hand, when he entered the bathroom.

He looked closer at what she held, the woman groaning as she stood and grew momentarily confused. “What is that? Is that baking soda? What would you…” But then it dawned on him, and Jason felt like he could breathe fire.

“Did you force her to brush her teeth with that?” Jason yelled, outraged at his mother-in-law’s insolence. “How many times?” Suzie only looked appalled that he would talk to her that way and was shocked as she looked down at the baking soda in her hand.

Good Intention Bad Execution

Jason yanked the baking soda out of her hand and shook it, “Have you forced her to brush her teeth with this? How long? Is that why her teeth are so sensitive now?” Suzie just lifted her hands, her brows pulled together in displeasure. “Well, somebody had to do something. Her teeth were as yellow as the sun, Jason.”

His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open in a gape, “She’s a five-year-old girl, Suzie. She barely has her adult teeth, and you’re worried about their color! Do you know how much damage this did to her teeth?”

Suzie huffed, “Oh please, that’s just nonsense. This worked wonders for my teeth when I was younger. They were pearly white if you can remember.” Jason was appalled and utterly beyond himself with anger. “You have dentures now, Suzie! Doesn’t that say enough?”

Bully Granny

“I can’t believe you bullied my daughter into thinking she needed to do this. There was nothing wrong with her teeth from the beginning. What’s wrong with you?” But Suzie had had enough. She just threw down the baking soda and stormed out of the room.

Needing his own time to cool off, Jason returned to Elizabeth’s room, where he found her crying. Laura was comforting her, and upon seeing his anger, she shook her head. He needed to know why his mother-in-law thought this would be a good idea.

How could she think of doing that to his daughter? Good intentions or not, she still bullied Elizabeth and caused damage to her teeth. It wasn’t so much her teeth that he was upset about, but more about the fact that it had made her so incredibly sick and caused her to suffer.

Family Problems

Elizabeth had since been separated from her grandmother because Jason could not trust her around the little girl. She’d seen Elizabeth’s suffering, saw their worry, and had willingly gone along with her plan without thinking to inform them.

The morning he’d asked her for advice, she’d still lied to him and kept the truth from him. How could he trust her? And why would she allow her granddaughter to suffer like that? Jason’s mind was reeling with questions and the betrayal of it all.

Laura had tried to reason with him, but he was too wound up. Especially when they took Elizabeth back to the dentist, and he revealed that the damage had worsened. His mother-in-law had ruined his daughter’s health, and she hadn’t even apologized for it. How would he ever forgive her?

Broken Trust

Days turned into weeks, and despite Suzie’s attempts to apologize and make amends, Jason couldn’t bring himself to trust her again. The rift between them widened with each passing day, fueled by the pain and betrayal he felt for what she had done to Elizabeth.

His mother-in-law’s remorse seemed genuine, but it was overshadowed by the damage her actions had caused. No amount of apologizing could erase Jason’s memory of seeing his daughter in agony or the guilt he felt for not realizing sooner what was happening, nor could it erase the betrayal Suzie had left him with.

Their once-close relationship was now strained, stained by mistrust and resentment. Jason struggled to reconcile the woman he had known as his loving mother-in-law with the one who had caused so much harm to his child. All the months she’d stayed with them, she’d forced Elizabeth to ruin her teeth.

26.A Fractured Bond

Despite the tension between them, Jason couldn’t deny the impact his mother-in-law’s presence had on their family dynamic. Elizabeth missed her grandmother terribly, and Jason couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness every time he saw the longing in her eyes.

But he couldn’t overlook the fact that Suzie’s actions had endangered Elizabeth’s health and shattered the trust they had once shared. No matter how much he wanted to believe that things could go back to normal, he knew deep down that their relationship would never be the same again.

How would he ever be able to leave Elizabeth with her again? How could he know she wouldn’t give his daughter poor advice or break her down about her appearance? Jason was torn about what to do, his limbs pulled at by the fact that he missed his mother-in-law and was distrustful of her.

Seeking Closure

As time passed, Jason grappled with conflicting emotions—anger towards his mother-in-law for what she had done and a deep-seated desire to mend their fractured relationship for the sake of their family. Laura tried to make it easier by talking to him about it, but he was still so angry.

He knew that forgiveness wouldn’t come easily, but he couldn’t deny the ache in his heart for the woman who had raised him. Despite everything, she was still his mother-in-law, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a part of her that genuinely regretted her actions.

Suzie often called their home to apologize or asked to visit since she’d gone to stay with a friend of hers, but neither Laura nor Jason had been keen. Sometimes, he felt like he was overreacting, and then he’d remember how she’d looked when she’d been eating poorly, and he was angry again.

A Fragile Reconciliation

In a moment of vulnerability, Suzie appeared at their home unannounced. She approached Jason with tears in her eyes, begging for forgiveness and expressing remorse for the pain she had caused. At first, he’d been hesitant, but Jason listened silently, his heart heavy with the weight of their shared history.

Despite his lingering doubts, Jason found it in himself to offer a tentative olive branch, acknowledging that healing would take time but expressing a willingness to work towards rebuilding their relationship.

She explained herself, what she’d intended, and why she now realized it had not been the right thing to do. Jason told her why he felt betrayed and how he’d been vulnerable. He asked for help that day, and she lied.

A Tentative Truce

Their reconciliation was far from perfect, marked by awkward silences and lingering resentment, but it was a start. Jason found solace in the small moments of connection they shared, a glimmer of hope amidst the wreckage of their past.

As they navigated their newfound understanding, Jason couldn’t help but wonder if their relationship would ever fully recover. But for now, he was content to take each day as it came, grateful for the opportunity to rebuild what had been broken.

They gave her supervised visits and asked Elizabeth for every detail when she visited, and slowly but surely, the bond started to mend. However, Jason still frowned every time Suzie mentioned a new health trend.

A New Normal

In the end, Jason comes to terms with the fact that their relationship will never be the same as it once was. The wounds of the past would always linger, a constant reminder of the pain they had endured.

He knew they would always be cautious of her advice to Elizabeth, always look at her too closely when she came to visit, and that Elizabeth might struggle with her dental health in the future.

But amidst the scars, there was also resilience—a newfound strength that came from facing adversity together. As they forged a new path forward, Jason held onto the hope that one day, they would find peace in the midst of their turmoil.