By Sara Quam
Jacob O'Donnell wants a new computer so bad he can taste it. But in order to get that computer, he won't be tasting any pop or candy for the rest of the year.
The Luverne Elementary fourth-grader is midway through a bargain he made with his parents - no pop or candy for a year and he can have any computer he wants.
And his mom and dad, Donna and John O'Donnell, Ellsworth, couldn't be more pleased with the arrangement.
John said, "He quit cold turkey the first day, and he's been 100 percent ever since."
That the New Year's resolution lasted this long hasnÕt surprised Donna, "That's the kind of kid he is; if he's determined, he'll just do it."
For Easter, Jacob didn't get a basket full of candy - he got a kite and snacks like pretzels and crackers.
"There's temptation everywhere," John said.
A trip to the movies means nachos and water instead of Juju Fruits and Mountain Dew.
Jacob's teacher, Sheryl Berg, said he resists indulging when she brings candy to school for a special treat. "He just politely says 'No, thank you' every time I come around with it," she said.
Jacob says it was more difficult to abstain at first. "It was like, 'Ah, give me some.'" But he's grown used to it and doesn't miss the candy anymore.
And for anyone who feels sorry for him, Jacob said he's not deprived. "I can still have chocolate chip cookies, just not Hershey's candy bars."
Discipline and sacrifice
Even though he's not being punished for anything, Jacob is now learning valuable lessons in discipline and sacrifice.
John first brought up the deal. "We wanted to get him off the sugar and caffeine," he said.
Side benefits have come in weight loss and better sleeping for Jacob and some money saved in the process.
"He hasn't been crabby or moody through any of it," Donna said.
"There's been no complaining on his part," John said.
That doesn't mean he hasnÕt been teased by his four siblings ... and his parents, too, according to Jacob. "My parents were testing me at first, leaving candy around the house and stuff."
Donna suspects he's learning a lot from the experience. "It's the little things. He holds up his hands and says, 'Hm, let's see, candy or a computer?' Like the choice is so obvious."
Jacob already has a computer at home, but itÕs an older model that canÕt carry the games and other accessories he wants.
The main use for his computer will be the Internet. He wants to communicate with his dad when he's on the road as a truck driver. Jacob also looks forward to playing DVDs and burning CDs.
So, with those options staring him in the face, he can easily go without his former favorites: Sour Skittles and Mountain Dew.
Even when his year of going without is up, it's not going to be a junk-food frenzy for Jacob. His parents said they have the right to take away the computer with the same deal that got him the computer.
But Jacob said he might try to slide around that if he gets bold enough. "Maybe I'll sneak some when I'm older."