Is Elliott Smarter than His Parents?

Our drama these days is centered around Beth's eating habits (thank Heaven our problems are as minor as this!) As you know, Mike and I struggle to get Beth to eat. There seems to be no pattern nor rhyme/reason to her eating. We've tried all kinds of tricks and cajoling.

We make sure no one says the word C-O-O-K-I-E around her prior to or during a meal because she will instantly stop eating and fixate on a cookie. She then steadfastly refuses to eat anything else until said cookie is produced. I, however, have decided we will try training her to eat by sticking to our guns and only producing said cookie after she has finished at least some of her meager meal. (...don't ask me how this silly lesson is going...)

Anyway, a few days ago Elliott started coaxing Beth into eating by telling her that everything on her plate was C-A-N-D-Y! I'll be an ostrich-with-my-head-in-the-sand, but Beth started eating whatever he put in front of her.

...sometimes you just gotta stop thinking so hard.