It Starts With Broccoli
How childhood “nevers” turn into lifelong barriers in Alzheimer’s care — and how MiM is rewriting the script.
You’ve heard it before.
“My kid won’t eat anything green.”
“She’ll only eat chicken nuggets.”
But here’s the twist: most of the time, the kid has never even been given a real chance. It’s the parent who pre-decides — “They won’t like it.” Broccoli never makes it to the fork.
That’s not about broccoli. That’s about projection.
🍗 Chicken Nuggets and Alzheimer’s
I hear the same script in Alzheimer’s care:
“He’ll never wear an Apple Watch.”
“She can’t use reminders.”
“They won’t do that.”
I’ve spoken with Supporters who say this with absolute certainty. And sometimes, their certainty has consequences. One told me their Traveler hasn’t left the house in over ten years because a social worker once declared, “They can’t.”
That’s not just broccoli skipped at dinner. That’s a whole life shrunk to four walls.
🚧 The Human Trait at Work
This isn’t about tech. It’s about control, comfort, and fear of disappointment.
Parents project onto kids: “They won’t eat it.”
Supporters project onto Travelers: “They won’t try it.”
The truth? Travelers often will try.
What they want most isn’t another gadget — it’s dignity and independence.
But if they’re blocked before they get the chance, the “never” becomes self-fulfilling.
🌱 How MiM Flips the Script
MiM isn’t “too techy.” It’s rhythm. It’s reminders. It’s broccoli blended into soup — not a raw floret shoved on the plate.
We design for micro-tries:
One nudge.
One small reminder.
One win.
Each small success chips away at the “never”. Because “never” usually means “not yet, not like that, not on those terms.”
✨ Call to Action
If you’re a Supporter, Advocate, or someone who knows the weight of that word “never,” I invite you to join us.
👉 Register at livewithmim.org and help rewrite the story:
From “they’ll never” to “look what they just did.”