A recent study pointed out that over 50% of kids are not paying any attention to the posted caloric data in restaurants. What I want to know is, who is surprised by this groundbreaking news? I mean, most kids don’t do their homework without prompting, clean their rooms, brush their teeth, or pick their dirty clothes off the bathroom floor. So why do we expect them to carefully read a menu?
This summer my friend has her kids signed up for swim team. Three times a week she loads the towels, flippers, goggles, snacks, sunscreen, and her two grumpy boys into the car and gets there just in time for practice. Then it’s back home to get dinner, baths, bedtime, etc. They get plenty of exercise, But where is the fun?
They have one thing in common: Both offer an escape from everyday life. For many kids, staying at Grandma & Grandpa’s sometimes means you can eat what you want, stay up late, gorge yourself on TV, and what happens there stays there. I read this blog recently on how one mom chose to let go of worrying over what happens at Grandma’s, and although it may seem wrong to stop fussing over your parents’ (or worse, your in-laws’) disregard for your parenting policies, there is logic in this stance.
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.
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