I do it, and I’m sure at one time or another, we all do it: make some negative comment about how we look. For me, it’s almost always a crack about my weight. I could stand to lose a few pounds, and when I am nervous or whatever, I make a little joke at my own expense to “lighten things up.” But these things we say to ourselves, even as jokes, how much do they really affect us? Does what we think about how we look interfere with our confidence, our willingness to put ourselves out there and reach for success?
Recently I was driving my son to school and he asked me a question. I said just a second, as I texted a reply to a friend. When my son then asked if I was texting, I felt a stab of guilt. Yes, I was feeling bad that I was being unsafe, because we all know that texting while driving is dangerous. But, I also felt on some level that I wasn’t using the precious time that we were both in the car to just talk to my son
I read this blog post recently that asks the question, if you love your kids and would lay down your life for them, why won’t you cook for them? I think I know the answer. Not only would we die for them, but we will also sacrifice our own lifestyles for them, work like crazy to provide for them, and overcommit to make sure they are able to participate in cool, stimulating stuff like sports, music, dance, and even robotics.
This week, schools in our area are conducting their annual standardized tests. Such a crazy time for parents and kids! For many a tween or teen, these tests can cause a lot of stress, anxiety, and even boredom if they finish early. Kids, believe it or not, face a lot of stressors: big games, dance or music recitals, schoolwork, and tests. How do your kids deal with their stress?
There is SO much buzz about food labels lately. Everywhere you turn — on Facebook, on a news site — a variety of words I had never heard as a child are being tossed around: GMOs, gluten-free, artificial sweeteners, and the definition of “milk.” It is, to say the least, a little overwhelming.
Two new studies released last week tie how children are fed to obesity rates. One reported that kids who served themselves (as in “family style”) ate fewer calories if given a smaller plate. The bigger the plate, the bigger the servings, and the more they ate. A second study showed that kids who ate four to five smaller meals throughout the day, rather than three larger ones, were less likely to be overweight or obese.
Another busy week, and I’m running to pick up my daughter from school. A friend calls and asks if I want to join her at the park with her kids and I say yes. It’s the first nice day of the year and the park is crazy, so we meet up at her house to make a plan. The “plan” starts to falter when we start chatting and the kids get into a video game.
When you take your family out to dinner, one of the best parts for kids is getting the paper “kids’ menu” and crayons. They can color, do puzzles, and choose their own meal made just for kids. But a recent study shows that while the menu may be cute, the food being offered may have way too many calories for a kid – or anybody – to eat in a single meal.
Kids can get sad, too. Maybe they are not stressed about mortgages and work, but friendship problems and anxiety over schoolwork are very real and deserve our understanding. Sometimes kids can be legitimately sad over real things that children shouldn’t have to deal with. Everyone feel down sometimes. But what if it is more?
According to one BlogHer Mom and dietician, recent studies indicate a relationship between an old-school parenting policy and obesity rates in adults. This comes as no surprise to me. At my home, as a child, I can remember many a dinner that lasted for over an hour, as the wait went on for me and my brother to “clean our plates.”
