Kids and food…not a good combination. I’ve learned over the past few years that the word “kid” could easily be the derivative of an old American-Indian word meaning “always difficult to feed.” In my house, the kid/food battle is ongoing.
I try to teach my children good eating habits, but so many times I’ve caved in to the “give them what you know they will eat” pit that leaves so many parents dumbfounded. When it comes to food, kids are sneaky and manipulative. They know that there is not a whole lot they can control in their lives, but they can control what goes into their mouths and they use that power against us. (The other power they posses is the ability to use the potty, but that’s another blog altogether.) I’ve always thought that if I just put it on their plates and offer them nothing else, they will eat it. WRONG. Even if they know they will go to bed hungry, they can and will still say “no” to an unappetizing dinner option. I don’t want my kids to starve so I have taken on the “give them a little of what they want, and a lot of what they should want” method of adolescent feeding.
I try to explain to my kids why we make the food choices we make. For example, “what is the benefit in eating meat? Its full of protein which will make you grow up and be big and strong.” For two boys, this is always a winner. I also talk to them about why we DON’T eat some things. My kids are easily tempted by the crazy, sweet, full of junk cereals that crowd the shelves. I just simply tell them that they are too full of sugar to eat all the time.
I’ve always thought this hasn’t been sinking into their little sugar-filled minds, but then, the other day I had an epiphany amongst the aisles at Wal-Mart. In a hurry to get out of there, I told my oldest son to head down the juice aisle and pick out a bottle of juice. I had no idea what he would come back with, but that’s the chance I take when I give up my grocery authority. I was halfway down the next aisle when Jake comes hobbling after me with a gigantic plastic bottle in his two hands. All I could see was a big picture of an apple on the label. “Well, good, at least he got apple juice,” I thought to myself. As he got closer, I noticed a huge grin on his face behind that huge bottle of juice. He proudly handed me the bottle and said, “Mom, does that say ‘no sugar added’?” I said, “Sure does.” He smiled and said, “that’s why I picked this bottle, Mom. I knew you would like it because it doesn’t have sugar.” As I wiped a tear from my eye, and the triumphant music quit playing in my head, I took the bottle out of his little hands, and said, “Yes, you are right. That is exactly what I would have picked.”
I guess sometimes all of this nagging about eating right does wear off on their little minds. Everyone wants something really bad and sweet or greasy every once in a while and that’s ok. But teaching your kids the basic foundations for living a healthy life is so important to do while they are young. Their little picky palates will change as they get older and hopefully some of that jibberish about vitamins, protein, and chemical additives will start to make sense when they are old enough to make their own food choices. So, go on parents, rock that broccoli! Praise those peanuts! Don’t make healthy choices the odd choice, make them the norm.
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