I'm going to preface this by saying I'm only venting and don't mean to come across as overly harsh.
My daughter's friend (she is) is on her cheerleading squad, and the friend's mom has a son who is 9 and plays football. Both kids are seriously overweight/obese. Friend's mom tells me today she took him to the dr. to get a physical before playing sports and his cholesterol came back 260. The kid has asthma as well.
Seriously, am I the only one who gets a bit annoyed with parents about things like this?? I mean, I know, some people don't understand or know any better, some kids have medical problems etc. But this truly drives me crazy- parents are in control of what their kids eat, and to do this to their kids- cause health problems because they can't figure out not to feed their kids crap and to get them out from in front of the TV... I just find it completely unacceptable. Its all very easily preventable.
I don't mean to come off as insensitive, and my reaction was supportive and I was respectful and tactful and suggested some things that might help (reducing fat, reducing packaged foods, more veggies/fruits, less sugar, and more exercise), but seriously on the inside I was really annoyed.
I completely agree with Scorpio. Now, I am not a Mom, but a nanny. I worked with my current family for nearly 60 hours a week for almost 2 years. When I got into this situation, I had all these rules in my head of how I was going to parent my child when I had kids, but I learned that hard and fast rules don't work with living kids. (The boys I watch, ages 6, 3 and 9 months are all healthy and active.) People say, I will never give junk food, well I have realized that if it isn't a taboo thing, they are less likely to sneak it. The boys can have a "treat" once every 2 or 3 days if they have behaved and eaten well. A "treat" consists of a popsicle, a couple of hershey kisses, or a cookie.
Another one, is people say, my children wont watch TV. I hate to break it to you, but TV isn't such a terrible thing. The boys on a normal day can each pick a 30 minute show, and the baby will get a baby bethoveen or most recently sesame street, or whatever; however, there are days when it rains, there are days when the kids are sick, there are day (generally fridays) when cuddling on the couch is both needed and nice.
Another one that gets me is the no fast food thing. It would be fabulous to not have to feed our children fast food; however, just 2 weeks ago, I ran late getting the oldest and we sat in traffic trying to get home it was already 5:15, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a McDonalds. It was like a shining light! They each got a happy meal, with chicken nuggets, apple slices and a milk. The boys get one juice box a day (100% juice of course), and the rest is water or milk, with the occasional pedilyte when someone is sick. They are healthy and happy, and most importantly we are all happy together.
Exercise is also something that is easy to incorporate into everyday life. The boys and I planted a butterfly garden in a little abandoned piece of ground and walk the half a mile or so daily to check on the flowers and to see if we have any butterflies there. Their mom and I are training for the half marathon I ran last year, and we throw the little ones in a jogging stroller and take off. Dad jogs with the oldest who rides his bike. Being brought up in an active home, in my opinion, creates active child/adults.
Mom and Dad are both physicians and have never had a problem with the way I do things with the boys. We definitely have rules, which everyone abides by, but we also know that their are days when some of us need a break. The boys view things, such as movie nights as something special and it is fun to both treat them and ourselves.
I think putting these hard fast rules on what your child will or will not do, creates a stressful environment for both you and your children. Relax enjoy life, enjoy your children, they are only young once.
My sister did the "no TV" thing until her kids were 7 and 5. Boy, was that obnoxious! They were so fascinated by TV at everyone else's house, we would have a hard time getting them to go play with the rest of the kids.
My problem with my 6 year old, I cant hardly get him to eat anything. He loves fruits occassionaly I can get him to eat veggies but he doesnt like much of anything. I do not allow him to eat junk food and he only eats candy on Halloween, the doctor told me not to worry about it because he will grow out of it but that was when he was 3 yrs old! He will be 6 yrs old in November and dinnertime is so stressful. People always tell me to make him a healthy dinner and if he gets hungry enough he will eat it...wrong:no:. He will go to bed without eating. Sometimes I just do not know what to do.
Would your six year old like to help pick stuff from the produce section to eat? Maybe put "his picks" in a specific spot in the fridge and let him graze?
My problem with my 6 year old, I cant hardly get him to eat anything. He loves fruits occassionaly I can get him to eat veggies but he doesnt like much of anything. I do not allow him to eat junk food and he only eats candy on Halloween, the doctor told me not to worry about it because he will grow out of it but that was when he was 3 yrs old! He will be 6 yrs old in November and dinnertime is so stressful. People always tell me to make him a healthy dinner and if he gets hungry enough he will eat it...wrong:no:. He will go to bed without eating. Sometimes I just do not know what to do.
Honestly the oldest boy I watch is 6 and he is the same way. So you know what we do...cheese sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, bagels or pizza. Oh yeah, and we throw in a couple of gummy vitamins in the morning for everything he's missing.
3 years old or 6 years old, he's a kid, it will change.
Would your six year old like to help pick stuff from the produce section to eat? Maybe put "his picks" in a specific spot in the fridge and let him graze?
This is what i usually do but he will go to the fridge open it look around and says he doesnt want anything but I know he's hungry because he keeps going to the fridge. At the grocery store I even let him put what he wants in the cart and he goes right to the fruit section. He will occasionally eat salad...yaaay!!He likes yogurt and eggs though and Morningstar veggie sausage but other than that it's really hard. Some things he used to eat like oatmeal chicken but all of a sudden he says he doesnt like it anymore. I do give him vitamins gummies, he loves those. Thanks all for the suggestions.
Another one that gets me is the no fast food thing. It would be fabulous to not have to feed our children fast food; however, just 2 weeks ago, I ran late getting the oldest and we sat in traffic trying to get home it was already 5:15, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a McDonalds. It was like a shining light! They each got a happy meal, with chicken nuggets, apple slices and a milk.
Just one thing about the McDonald's apples...
My best friend is a registered dietitian, and mother of three. She was quite thrilled to see healthy foods hit the menu at McD's. She likes to investigate her own foods, though, and the apples were no exception.
So she opened the bag and left then on a paper plate on the counter. After a week, the apples were dried and hard, but never rotted and never so much as turned tan....let alone brown. I don't know what they put on them or in them to achieve that level of preservation, but the thought kind of gives me the heebie jeebies.
Just a little information. Do with it what you will.
There are a wide variety of views and ideas on this thread and I felt that I had to throw my two cents in as well. I have five kids, three of whom look like they have been starved, literally skin and bones. These three eat more than you could imagine, I was the same as a kid. The other two are a pair of buddas, born big and stayed solid, they dont eat as much as the others.
I, (OK, my wife) have rules about what the kids eat and how much TV they can watch. We have very little "junk" in the house, to us the meusli bars are as bad as it gets. Occasionally the kids get chips or lollies, only often enough to de-mystify them and to provide a special treat. Because we started when the oldest was a baby it has been easy to give them a wide variety of foods. Rather than McDonalds my kids ask for a variety of foods while shopping, favourites include: sushi, Turkish, Indian and the old faithfull....salad wraps. Considering these shops are in the same food court as Mickie D's and the "others" I think we are doing alright ...so far.
My father taught me to try any food on offer to widen my experience and I have passed this on to my kids. Imagine his surprise and delight when my 6 yo daughter ate a whole pickled baby octopus without a second thought. My kids try anything, some things they dont like, but they will give it a go before deciding. I have been lucky with my kids and their eating and think that starting them early made me just a little bit luckier.
BTW my fourteen yo still goes the choice rather than the "peer pressure" of eating junk, most of the time.
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
You know what else got me? She was standing by me during practice and her son was at the other end with his team and she mentioned something about what he was doing in practice (and since they all look about the same to me when they are all geared up) I asked which one he was and she says "Hes the biggest one on the team" like she was proud and that was a good thing.
Every day (practice was 5 days a week) she brings a soda for her daughter to drink on "water breaks" during practice.:banghead:
Figured since no one has called me a judgmental b!*ch yet I'd add my thoughts! :chuckle:
Little does she know she may be giving her son an early death sendence.
I try not to militant with MY kids, but you can bet that we're a fruits and veggies loving house! Working on some happy :redbeathes!
Sounds like us. We have our occasional treats, but my kids love fruits and vegetables. Any fruit, corn on the cob, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale... It doesn't last long in our fridge.
mrosev14
79 Posts
I completely agree with Scorpio. Now, I am not a Mom, but a nanny. I worked with my current family for nearly 60 hours a week for almost 2 years. When I got into this situation, I had all these rules in my head of how I was going to parent my child when I had kids, but I learned that hard and fast rules don't work with living kids. (The boys I watch, ages 6, 3 and 9 months are all healthy and active.) People say, I will never give junk food, well I have realized that if it isn't a taboo thing, they are less likely to sneak it. The boys can have a "treat" once every 2 or 3 days if they have behaved and eaten well. A "treat" consists of a popsicle, a couple of hershey kisses, or a cookie.
Another one, is people say, my children wont watch TV. I hate to break it to you, but TV isn't such a terrible thing. The boys on a normal day can each pick a 30 minute show, and the baby will get a baby bethoveen or most recently sesame street, or whatever; however, there are days when it rains, there are days when the kids are sick, there are day (generally fridays) when cuddling on the couch is both needed and nice.
Another one that gets me is the no fast food thing. It would be fabulous to not have to feed our children fast food; however, just 2 weeks ago, I ran late getting the oldest and we sat in traffic trying to get home it was already 5:15, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a McDonalds. It was like a shining light! They each got a happy meal, with chicken nuggets, apple slices and a milk. The boys get one juice box a day (100% juice of course), and the rest is water or milk, with the occasional pedilyte when someone is sick. They are healthy and happy, and most importantly we are all happy together.
Exercise is also something that is easy to incorporate into everyday life. The boys and I planted a butterfly garden in a little abandoned piece of ground and walk the half a mile or so daily to check on the flowers and to see if we have any butterflies there. Their mom and I are training for the half marathon I ran last year, and we throw the little ones in a jogging stroller and take off. Dad jogs with the oldest who rides his bike. Being brought up in an active home, in my opinion, creates active child/adults.
Mom and Dad are both physicians and have never had a problem with the way I do things with the boys. We definitely have rules, which everyone abides by, but we also know that their are days when some of us need a break. The boys view things, such as movie nights as something special and it is fun to both treat them and ourselves.
I think putting these hard fast rules on what your child will or will not do, creates a stressful environment for both you and your children. Relax enjoy life, enjoy your children, they are only young once.