Strange comment about kids eating.

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notworthstalking
notworthstalking Posts: 531 Member
I mentioned at work last night that my eldest daughter , just turned 7, is wanting to try and eat healthier. A girl at work said "a diet so young?'

Do people really think about healthy eating as a 'diet' ? My daughter is super active, and pretty smart. She unfortunately has very limited likes as far as food goes. Intellectually she gets she needs to eat a wide variety of foods to get what she needs to get healthy and get over colds etc. They talk about fuel at school, and encourage the kids to be active. We do the same at home. Pretty much my big kid is perfect. Active, 22 kilos (about 40 or so pounds) of muscle. She is going through a stage of being super hungry and super tired 'all the time mum' . No wonder as they are always either playing soccer, running around, or doing handstands.

Now she recognises the need to eat veggies and fruit. Protein , fat and other carbs are no problem. She just wants to only eat food she already likes..... Working on that. But to me a kid learning about vitamins, minerals, not eating so much chocolate you want to puke , is healthy and what they need to know. Opinions? Also not judging, but at her school, I haven't seen any obese kids. All shapes and sizes, but all active and crazy lol

Replies

  • AnDiallo
    AnDiallo Posts: 131 Member
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    It's good that she wants to learn how to eat more healthily. It's only a 'diet' in the actual sense of the word ; the total of what she is habitually eating.
    As long as she doesn't go overboard and isn't being too 'strict' with herself, I'd say start the good habits early!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    that hateful comment was about you, not your kid.
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
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    a simple "Nope.. she sees other kids get teased about obesity & wants to be a good role model for them, and have nutritious snacks available incase other children who cant afford them can have some of hers!" Is all the answer they need.... IF you even want to give them that. The older i get, the more i learn the LESS "real" information you give to people you "know" and work with.. the less they have to use against you later on. Tell them anything but the trust. They ask you your kids names? Tell them a "truth" .... "Im sorry, but i dont give out my childrens names to people im not closely related to or who know them personally. Its a privacy invasion their father and i arent comfortable with." and leave it at that. If they dont like it.. tell them to GET BENT. set the rules from DAY ONE and you will likely be the "go to gosspi girl" for anything!! Take s you right out of the mix from the get go... which is exactly what you need!! GOOD LUCK!! Its a hard situation to be in.. i TRULY understand!!! <3 I feel for you!
  • notworthstalking
    notworthstalking Posts: 531 Member
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    that hateful comment was about you, not your kid.

    True, but not quite hateful, more confused. I have at a lot of people at work give me strange looks about the big amount eat at times lol. Same chick struggles with her weight, and energy levels.

    I did get some strange comments over the weekend- my girl is robust, and also has great control over her body. Another mum basically says that means that, the first person wishes their daughter wanted to try afl, and the other wishes her daughter wanted to do aikido and could dance with wacking other kids in the face ...

    I sometimes think with the little kids people project their worries on them too much. You know instead of letting them be little kids. I am just trying to teach my kids to have fun, and like to try different activities and foods. My husband and I use the word strong a lot. Still can't believe she can do a handstand. Holley upper body strength.
  • jr235
    jr235 Posts: 201 Member
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    People always want to comment on other peoples parenting with very little information.

    My daughter is only 2, so she doesn't really get healthy eating yet. I do control her snacks a bit, but not too much. The big one is no snacks for at least 1 hour before dinner because otherwise she won't eat a proper dinner. I also limit her milk intake because otherwise she would just guzzle milk all day everyday and not eat anything. If there's juice I won't even put it on the table until after the meal is finished for the same reason. Kid really likes her liquid calories I guess! But if there's no juice and she hasn't had a snack she is a very good eater.

    I also get a lot of "oh no you're too strict" with her. I've had looks and exclamations of absolute horror because I put her in time out when she misbehaves.

    I think its great you're getting your kid involved in nutrition and I want to do the same with my daughter!
  • notworthstalking
    notworthstalking Posts: 531 Member
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    People always want to comment on other peoples parenting with very little information.

    My daughter is only 2, so she doesn't really get healthy eating yet. I do control her snacks a bit, but not too much. The big one is no snacks for at least 1 hour before dinner because otherwise she won't eat a proper dinner. I also limit her milk intake because otherwise she would just guzzle milk all day everyday and not eat anything. If there's juice I won't even put it on the table until after the meal is finished for the same reason. Kid really likes her liquid calories I guess! But if there's no juice and she hasn't had a snack she is a very good eater.

    I also get a lot of "oh no you're too strict" with her. I've had looks and exclamations of absolute horror because I put her in time out when she misbehaves.

    I think its great you're getting your kid involved in nutrition and I want to do the same with my daughter!

    We are trying to lol. Her general school days goes - vita bix, porridge , nutri grain or coco pops. Sometimes she will see me having coffee and toast and has milo and toast. She prefers cereal though. At school they have a munch and crunch break. This is fruit or veggies usually. It's the only way she will eat fruit at school and normally has a banana or tinned pear. Lunch is a couple of sandwiches. This week she only has wanted vegiemite as she wants vitamin B. I would prefer one be peanut butter and jam. I usually put a milk drink. She likes the new coco pops drinks, and while they have lots of sugar, she plays soccer most lunch times so we don't mind. She has a pie if she gets tuck shop. If we put anything else in her lunch box she doesn't have time. My husband brings a snack to school for the walk home. Sometimes just jelly beans or something to bring her sugar up. They take about 40 mins to get home. She will have something at home while doing homework if she has any. Dinner is stuff like , sausages and mashed potato, pasta with sauce ( though she is off that) , cheese omelettes, fish fingers or nuggets, ( we try and get a good brand ) chips, or noodles. On a bad night where she just doesn't feel like eating or my husbands back is really sore they have toast. I am making lasagna tomorrow which she loves, and there will be leftovers. If they don't stuff around the girls have ice cream or custard. If they are still hungry , cheese, milk or crackers.

    Tonight we had sausages , chips and an egg. She tried to pull the old I don't like eggs anymore trick, but she actually enjoyed it. As you can see she does need to learn to eat veggies. She loves the veggies in the lasagna though. Too bad the four year old doesn't like it grrr.... Her favourite snack is Doritos or chocolate . We limit that to avoid her feeling sick or other stomach issues (too much Doritos no good for butt....)