Parents let their kids eat trash?
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I honestly think this is a valid question. I was raised a very healthy eater and brought up in an active household, we never had junk in the house but clearly I went off the rails when I moved out or I wouldn't be here
My kids are 8 and 4 and I do allow them to eat stuff I wouldn't in public because we rarely eat out so I allow them to eat what they want (within reason), it's all about moderation, I don't want them to go crazy when they get older or feel deprived . It's been a huge learning process for me, my oldest has always been a great eater he loves veggies and hates candy and junk food but loves ice cream my daughter will eat all junk all the time and she is the one who has kicked me into gear about eating healthy because I don't want her to get my habits. They can be picky at times but I buy their favorite healthy foods and we don't buy junk anymore, if it's in the house we'll eat it right? My kids have always been in the 100% for height and 95% for weight and now my son is only 85% for weight because he is growing like crazy and I was told I need to give him higher fat foods to get him back up but I refuse because I don't want to teach him bad eating habits...
I don't know what 100% or 85% means where you live...I don't think it means the same thing where I live as you don't try to get your kids to be bigger than 99% of all of the kids their age. With that said, and assuming that your percentages mean something entirely different, giving your kid higher fat foods when indicated by your ped, is not teaching bad habits. Give him some eggs. Nuts. Avocado. Whole fat milk. Cheese.
I don't know, I'm in Canada I think it's pretty well the same but the numbers are different I'm told like I think his 72 pounds at 8 is 85% here but 72% in the US, that's what my doctor said anyway. My son was actually sent to a pediatrician for another reason and wanted me to take him in every 3 months for weight checks because he was always at the very top of the percentile for height and weight and then he dropped to 85% so to her it was alarming, I think she's nuts, so does our family doctor so we no longer see her. My son has grown considerably in the last 18 months but hasn't gained a pound, seems normal to me... the pediatrician recommended basically upping his fat and calories and gave me awful suggestions. I'm with you we give him maybe a little extra cheese and eggs and milk which he loves! plus other healthy fats, he was even allergic to tree nuts and I blew all of my vacation doing allergy challenges with him and he loves his pistachios and peanuts now.0 -
My son has a rare/little known eating disorder called Extreme Picky Eating/Selective Eating Disorder that I talked about here (about 18 posts down):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1044015-some-lunch-ideas-vegetables
What others consider junk, he literally needs to live because it's the only way he can get enough protein, fat, calories, and other nutrients in. His doctors know what he eats and approve of it because the foods got him growing again after a 2 yr period when he wasn't. (The kid dropped from 90th percentile in weight & height since birth to single digits.)
One of the reasons we don't go out to restaurants often is because we get judged by wait staff and others around us. Hub & I, both overweight, would have full dinners while our skinny child at nothing but French fries and white milk. Do you know how tiring it gets trying to explain that, "No, we're not starving our child. No, he doesn't want chicken fingers or a hot dog or ice cream, or anything else you're suggesting. French fries and white milk are his ONLY universal-will-eat-any-brand foods. Our kid has a rare eating disorder called..." Do you know how much my kid hates having it explained by us and himself too when folks won't take a simple "No, thank you" for an answer or offer "helpful suggestions on how he could like a food if only he tried it THIS way?" :grumble:
The last few years, if we want a celebratory dinner for a birthday, holiday, or anniversary, we get restaurant take out and eat it at home. it spares us the looks and explanations.
When we took a cross-half-the-country-road-trip we planned our hotels around what restaurants & foods would be available so that our child could eat. Just as many hours are put in every time we go on vacation. Our son's health comes first and that means making sure we can either buy locally, or bring with us, food he'll eat because he will, and has, starved when such isn't available. I have friends whose kids have severe food allergies and do the same.
ETA: Do you know how thrilled we would be if he ate vegetables other than black olives, green olives, ketchup, or the merest smear of tomato sauce on pizza? Our celebrations of his eating involve him trying a new brand of an accepted food or taking the teeniest bite of a new one. His disorder is one that takes time, sometimes even years, to work up to trying new things.
~ Vegetarian Mom of skinny teenager who lives on chicken nuggets, pizza, pepperoni & bacon bought in bulk-sized packages, gallons of organic whole milk, potato bread, full fat beef hot dogs, and all those other "bad foods"0 -
:chickennuggetforyou:I call BS on the OP. Her responses sound like a robot. 10/10 would troll. and run over.
(I'm just doing damage control here, lady. I really didn't mean to piss off the very people that I follow for encouragement and advice.)
And I can't thank people for their responses? Isn't that the polite thing to do?
Damage Control you say? Okay, I'll bite. FYI you can always PM a mod and let them know that you bit off more than you could chew with this thread or that it came out in a way you did not intend. You can ask them to remove it.
You still sound a little rehearsed to me but okay.
For the record you touched a nerve with me. First of all by now it's probably pretty obvious how I feel about kids in general. For this topic though I have one of those "picky eaters" or did until not that long ago. Currently he gets fed filet mignon steaks and nothing from the "gross" kids menu's at restaurants. Not because we are snobs but because we know what he'll eat. He likes plain food but super fresh food. My husband thinks nothing of spending grown up dollars and kiddo is finally at the stage of liking healthy foods. Celery corn peas and the like. We went through a really hard phase though, and so I'm just gonna let you have it like my mom and aunts always did. Be careful what you say about other people's kids because when it comes back at you it'll be tenfold.
IF you truly plan on being a parent and are conducting "research" in that effort, the best nugget of research you could take away from this thread is mind your own business. Don't be one of those mom's insinuating *kitten* and asking probing questions at the playground and shoving your little Jr.'s perfections down other people's throats. It's a sure way to be the lonely mom. Also it's a sure way to make your little Jr. lonely as well.
Good luck responding kindly to this post. I noticed mine was the only one you got a little riled up with. Is there a reason for that? Let's see how you fare maintaining your composure with this one. BTW your shorts and top don't go together at all. I hate when people post sub par fashion choices on instagram/FB/and the like. See we all have things we don't like seeing online.
@MyChocolateDiet I think I love you, in a totally platonic way. *hi5* mama!!!0 -
I honestly think this is a valid question. I was raised a very healthy eater and brought up in an active household, we never had junk in the house but clearly I went off the rails when I moved out or I wouldn't be here My kids are 8 and 4 and I do allow them to eat stuff I wouldn't in public because we rarely eat out so I allow them to eat what they want (within reason), it's all about moderation, I don't want them to go crazy when they get older or feel deprived . It's been a huge learning process for me, my oldest has always been a great eater he loves veggies and hates candy and junk food but loves ice cream my daughter will eat all junk all the time and she is the one who has kicked me into gear about eating healthy because I don't want her to get my habits. They can be picky at times but I buy their favorite healthy foods and we don't buy junk anymore, if it's in the house we'll eat it right? My kids have always been in the 100% for height and 95% for weight and now my son is only 85% for weight because he is growing like crazy and I was told I need to give him higher fat foods to get him back up but I refuse because I don't want to teach him bad eating habits...
I don't know what 100% or 85% means where you live...I don't think it means the same thing where I live as you don't try to get your kids to be bigger than 99% of all of the kids their age. With that said, and assuming that your percentages mean something entirely different, giving your kid higher fat foods when indicated by your ped, is not teaching bad habits. Give him some eggs. Nuts. Avocado. Whole fat milk. Cheese.
I don't know, I'm in Canada I think it's pretty well the same but the numbers are different I'm told like I think his 72 pounds at 8 is 85% here but 72% in the US, that's what my doctor said anyway. My son was actually sent to a pediatrician for another reason and wanted me to take him in every 3 months for weight checks because he was always at the very top of the percentile for height and weight and then he dropped to 85% so to her it was alarming, I think she's nuts, so does our family doctor so we no longer see her. My son has grown considerably in the last 18 months but hasn't gained a pound, seems normal to me... the pediatrician recommended basically upping his fat and calories and gave me awful suggestions. I'm with you we give him maybe a little extra cheese and eggs and milk which he loves! plus other healthy fats, he was even allergic to tree nuts and I blew all of my vacation doing allergy challenges with him and he loves his pistachios and peanuts now.
That is weird (the doc). Pretty common for kids to go through growth spurts in height without weight change. Which would obviously cause the shift in the percentile.:laugh: Sounds like the family doc has their head on straight.0 -
My parents kept a decent combo. When we were small kids we ate what we were served when it was served and said thank you. You also must considrer NOW both parents usually work you are busy, you are tired, the last thing you want to do is battle with a two year old over nuggets. I would not be so quick to judge what children eat in a resturant because it doesn't mean they are fed the same food at home. My children will choose veggies and apples over fries sometimes. Most of the time they want both. I think if you deprive a child of the junk food they will want it and go over board. There is a balance to the junk food though.0
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Why would I deny my kids of foods they love because I am unhealthy? My children do not eat more than a portion size of anything, the don't repeatedly eat junk food and they are a healthy weight. I teach them that it is ok to love food while also teaching them about portions. Part of this journey has been for me not to pass my bad eating habits to my kids, I want to teach them better but I will not deny them of foods that all kids enjoy.0
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I don't know what you're talking about. My kids are on raspberry ketones and the green coffee bean enema cleanse, just like all the sensible adults.
OMG, mine too! We should get together for group days.0 -
This upset me greatly for so many reasons. This woman had no idea what my child's day was like. She had no knowledge of what my child's health was. She had no idea what her normal eating habits were.
So in conclusion, do not judge a situation unless you have all of the facts.
So this! So very, very much this! Before our son got diagnosed with his eating disorder, we also used McDonald's as a treat. He was in the hospital for asthma so often from birth to age 6. To make the emergency trip to the ER, which often resulted in a week-long stay in the pediatric unit better, he got a treat. Obviously, not at birth when he was nursing, but as a toddler & young child? Yes, he got a Happy Meal to make up for being constantly woken up to have his blood drawn, his pulse-ox monitor checked, be given yet another dose of liquid medicine which burned like fire in his mouth and tasted like poo, to have to lay there with a mask on his face every few hours for treatments. And our kid was in far better shape than others in the unit.
~getting off my Mom soapbox0 -
I wasn't going to chime in as it seems like most people are in the "let them eat what they want camp." However, speaking from a child who ate a lot, but tended to like healthier things than other kids, it's probably not good to let your kids eat what they want because their bodies can handle it RIGHT NOW. That stuff will catch up quicker than you will notice... mainly because you see your kids every day and they are supposed to be growing, so when they are slowly adding up extra pounds, it's tough to notice until it's too late. And then you have an obese kid.
Also, I personally think may FAT parents use their kids as an excuse to keep the junk in the house. One poster says that the kinds of foods doesn't matter. But the fallacy with that is that kids can or will eat to moderation. I mean, have you ever ordered food at a fast food restaurant? They have large sizes and then REALLY LARGE SIZES. And how many of us as kids have gone through boxes and bags of candy.
Now, I'm certainly not saying deprive your kids... but I think that kids should be limited to eating those really bad things outside of the house on special occasions (even if weekly). But keeping that stuff in the house is just a recipe for a really fat kid. And you can't blame the kid.
My father used to push all kinds of food on me... "try this," "try that." It was hard to resist, but most of the time I did. However, I was the type who when I ate a lot... it was A LOT!!! I wasn't really a huge candy, dessert or snacking kind of kid.
All this being said... no parents want to be told they are doing it wrong... so there's not going to be a lot of positive comments for the OP.0 -
So this! So very, very much this! Before our son got diagnosed with his eating disorder, we also used McDonald's as a treat. He was in the hospital for asthma so often from birth to age 6. To make the emergency trip to the ER, which often resulted in a week-long stay in the pediatric unit better, he got a treat. Obviously, not at birth when he was nursing, but as a toddler & young child? Yes, he got a Happy Meal to make up for being constantly woken up to have his blood drawn, his pulse-ox monitor checked, be given yet another dose of liquid medicine which burned like fire in his mouth and tasted like poo, to have to lay there with a mask on his face every few hours for treatments. And our kid was in far better shape than others in the unit.
~getting off my Mom soapbox
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This really hit home. My oldest son was very sick when he was 2 and he loved McDonald's and it made him so happy, he was on crazy steroids so he looked huge and I was judged for it often and even my father judged me... he died just before he turned 3 and when we had my second son he said 'don't feed this one crap'
this makes me uber sensitive to what goes in my kids mouths now since I replay what he said over and over again in my head For the record he is now retired and takes my kids to McDonald's on average 3 times a week! I suggested he just buy them the happy meal toys or a smoothy every other time :S 0 -
OMG this is frickin hilarious.
As a parent who tries to have healthy options for my child at home she has god forbid a ice-cream at the restaurant and chicken strips with veggies. I would hate to think someone who knows nothing about how I feed her outside the 10 seconds you see her at the restaurant is judging my parenting. But thanks!
We rarely go out to restaurants but when we do we let her have a treat outside our norm, she's a 6 year old for crying out loud.0 -
I'm actually opposite, I ate the wrong foods, but fed my kids a lot better, and within moderation. I'm eating like them now though lol I just didn't want them growing up with no knowledge of health and food like I did so they know how to control their own weight as an adult.
I'd also like to point out though, when we go out to eat i let them pretty much pick what they want because we don't go out often, and its not going to hurt them to eat a little yumminess from time to time
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now that was funny0
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Please don't allow your children to eat from the trash can.
This made me lmao.
Me too...
My kids eat a mix of stuff... they love broccoli, brown rice, salmon, etc... but they also like pizza, chips, and cookies. I figured they eat plenty of fruits and veggies... so what if they have some some not so healthy foods, and I'm sure as **** not inviting a meltdown by denying them chicken nuggets at a restaurant!0 -
I wasn't going to chime in as it seems like most people are in the "let them eat what they want camp." However, speaking from a child who ate a lot, but tended to like healthier things than other kids, it's probably not good to let your kids eat what they want because their bodies can handle it RIGHT NOW. That stuff will catch up quicker than you will notice... mainly because you see your kids every day and they are supposed to be growing, so when they are slowly adding up extra pounds, it's tough to notice until it's too late. And then you have an obese kid.
Also, I personally think may FAT parents use their kids as an excuse to keep the junk in the house. One poster says that the kinds of foods doesn't matter. But the fallacy with that is that kids can or will eat to moderation. I mean, have you ever ordered food at a fast food restaurant? They have large sizes and then REALLY LARGE SIZES. And how many of us as kids have gone through boxes and bags of candy.
Now, I'm certainly not saying deprive your kids... but I think that kids should be limited to eating those really bad things outside of the house on special occasions (even if weekly). But keeping that stuff in the house is just a recipe for a really fat kid. And you can't blame the kid.
My father used to push all kinds of food on me... "try this," "try that." It was hard to resist, but most of the time I did. However, I was the type who when I ate a lot... it was A LOT!!! I wasn't really a huge candy, dessert or snacking kind of kid.
All this being said... no parents want to be told they are doing it wrong... so there's not going to be a lot of positive comments for the OP.
I doubt that most parents in this thread are feeding their kids fast food, candy, chips, and cookies all the time. I think what's being discussed by most is eating a balanced, nutrient rich diet but having treats as well.
I also think that most people are taking issue with the judgmental tone of the OP more than anything.0 -
yes I do allow my kids to eat junk. I also give them tons of healthy food as well. There are even times my kids have been offered junk and asked for a piece of fruit instead. So, I think my kids are going to be ok.0
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I try to find a balance for my son. Hes skinny and has 6pack abs at 6. Lucky kid lol0
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I have three children. I try my best to make them understand that eating healthy is a good choice. My boys (7 and 10) will eat anything that I put in front of them (they love fish, chicken and veggies ~ even brussels sprouts, asparagus and brocolli...kale, spinach and collard greens)...but my daughter is a carbotarian. She doesn't like the texture of meat...but she won't just eat a salad either. Twice since we have been out to eat while on vacation, she has chosen cheese sticks ;/ She is almost 14.0
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What has having a child got to do with the food choice? Parents are the ones buying it..... if the child refuses to eat what they are told to eat then they go without.
Anyone who says ' I'm guessing you dont have children then' is using poor parenting choices as an excuse. YOU Are the adult...not your child. YOU are the one buying it,.... not your child. YOU are the one who makes the decision on what they eat...not your child.
Stop making excuses.0
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