KIDS

TavistockToad wrote: »

WA_mama2 wrote: »

I either save my kid's leftovers for later (kids are always hungry, it seems) or toss it. It's wasted in the trash and it's wasted in my stomach because I didn't need the calories. I'd rather uneaten food be in the trash. I've said to myself "I'm not a garbage disposal!" more than a few times while breaking this habit.

If stress eating it affecting your progress, reach out and seek some help. There's no shame in it and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

All of this!

+1

Pressure to eat the kids food? Why? Put their food in fridge if it can be eaten later by the kids or if they do not want it, then why should you?

I am sure it's very stressful dealing with young children! I second the suggestion to feed them what you eat. You're not a line cook or a garbage disposal! I was a very picky eater growing up but both my brother and I would always eat plain chicken or simply seasoned pork, some type of potato, and a green vegetable (maybe add some butter to the veggies for the kiddos). My mom just had to figure out what my brother and I would eat- green salads, peas- not the best, not the worst- and green beans worked for us. We would also eat pasta with tomato sauce, meatballs, and a green salad- things like that. Can you steer them towards what you're eating and can healthy leftovers be repurposed as lunch? This also teaches (conventional) healthy eating habits (a carb, a protein, a vegetable...). Good luck!

Serve your kids smaller portions. If they're still hungry you can always ante up with a piece of fruit.

drink more water. when i feel like i want to munch (from stress, boredom, etc.), i drink a huge glass of water. if i'm actually feeling hungry after, i can reevaluate then. 95% of the time, the water fills me up though.

I've got four daughters (9, 6, 3, and 9 mos). Those bits that they don't finish aren't doing anyone any bit of good whether you throw them in the garbage or they end up on your butt, and they actually do you and your family harm if they prevent you from being a healthy weight. It helps to look at it that way. Toddlers have notoriously finicky, unpredictable appetites, so it's not uncommon (or unhealthy) for them to eat a lot at one meal and barely touch the next. Serve your kids reasonable kid sized portions, that will help reduce waste, but with an 18 month old in the house, leftovers are inevitable. Drop the guilt - you can't pack up those leftovers and send them to a starving person. Eating them yourself won't help anyone. (And don't try to get your kids to "clean their plates" either, lots of us have very bad habits because of that mentality! Let them learn to listen to their own hunger cues; it will serve them well in the future).

As for stress eating - I've never really been a stress eater (if anything stress kills my appetite), so I don't know that I can offer any really useful advice beyond what has already been given. Do try and make regular time for yourself. Get out of the house *by yourself* to do something *just for you* at least once a week, if you can swing it. Getting away from the noise and constant demands of small children will help you feel more calm when you return. There is a reason they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first when a plane is going down - you can't be of any use to anyone else unless you take care of yourself first. Make you a priority - have a daily ritual that you can do to relax (a nightly bubble bath, a morning walk before the kids get up, a cup of tea in the afternoon, a glass of wine in the evening - you can make room for it in your calorie allowance). These types of things can help you relax and refocus and put things in perspective.

My dd is a difficult 16 years. My dh has had severe anxiety for 7 years. We've been through some stressful times.
I stress clean or pace instead of eating. Listening to music helps me when I am stressed.

Kid's food- Cook or buy less food for them in the first place, throw away what they don't eat or put leftovers away for later. Leave some extra calories for it and include it as part of your meal. Eating it so it won't go to waste- that is an excuse.
Stress- set a timer for 10 minutes and practice meditation, listen to music, play a musical instrument, sing, exercise, knit/crochet, draw/paint/sculpt, garden, chew gum, drink a cup of tea, eat carrots not chocolate or a pizza. Get a babysitter, mother's helper or hand the kids to your partner so you get some time to yourself. Take a hard look at your life and prioritize- let go of some stuff, practice saying no, are you doing anything you enjoy?
If you are depressed or anxious seek professional help. Get in therapy. Get on meds if you need them. Do it for yourself and your family.

My daughter eats what I eat and what my husband eats. She doesn't and hasn't ever gotten special meals or "kid foods" like buttered noodles or chicken nuggets or kraft mac 'n cheese unless they are what we are all having for dinner. And I don't eat her leftovers. I'm not a garbage disposal and I'm not going to act like one.

As for exercising, I'm going to guess that you have a partner (spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, whatever) with whom you share childraising duties such as keeping your 1.5 yo's fingers out of electric sockets while you are exercising. Let him/her do that. Your 7 yo is well old enough to play on his/her own while you exercise as well. Part of raising kids is teaching them to be independent and that the world (i.e., your life) doesn't revolve strictly around them. You taking time out to take care of yourself is as much for their development as it is for your good health.

YuliyaShadyrya wrote: »

Just wanted to clarify something : I do serve kids what I eat! ;)thanks for all the advice!

Dish them less. I have been making that mistake at work, I'm a nanny not a mom so I don't get all the stress but I do understand most of it. I used to give them all that I thought they could eat but now I give them about half that amount. There is just no knowing how much they will eat any given day or meal!

Another tip is to get exercise with them, we do lunges together (okay, I do lunges and they do adorable little duck waddled trying to copy me), they help me count my push-ups, and the other day I used each one to do a couple "bench presses" haha.

I get stressed and overwhelmed at work often and when the going gets real tough I load up the stroller and we go. Even if it's just around the block, the change of scenery is great for all of us and sort of resets the mood of all involved. Is that an option?

Also, dance parties. Sometimes it's their music, but often times its my upbeat dancing mix that helps me reset my own stress and mood. Gets us all silly and it's smoother sailing from there.

Just don't eat it.

Make less, or put less on their plates. Save leftovers for the next day rather than consuming them because you "have" to. Regarding the stress, 60 seconds of deep breathing can be hugely therapeutic.

I've got a 5 and 6 year old, a full time job, and grad school. I get it, but it's also 100% doable. You just have to make yourself a priority, rather than putting yourself tenth on your list of important things.

I used to have the same issue, I have 3 kids twins who are 5 and an 18 month old. I think I basically gained weight eating what the kids didn't finish- because let's face it I rarely say down to eat a meal, but also stress eating. I now have a rule I only eat sitting down, and excessively chew my food.
For me what works is cooking one dinner a day, but catering to both kid friendly and my diet friendly meals. To accomplish this I have stocked my freezer with things from M&M meats that are both healthy for me (like a marinated piece of salmon for 150 cals that I can put with a salad) or kid friendly options (think chicken fingers, lasagna). Sometimes if I'm making a salad for myself I double the recipe and stock up for a later date and that is also huge help. I tried eating what kids eat but just smaller amounts and found myself still hungry because of limited portion.
My kids are also getting more adventurous as they see me eating different. Stir fry has become a family staple. They are branching out!
As for the stress eating, I mean we all do it but if you are all I say is log ANYTHING you put in your mouth.

I've got lots and lots of kids, mostly older now (youngest is 9). I can't eat when stressed, so different from you in that way, but:

We were generally unscheduled, but organized mealtimes. Everyone sits down and eats, together.
Snacks are allowed for kids, pretty much unrestricted, if they do the work and cleanup themselves.
I don't buy much junk food at all. A big box of kashi bars, kind bars, sometimes chips or crackers but there just isn't a lot of unhealthy snackage available. So to get food, in general, one has to prepare food.
When funds allow, I put big bowls of fruit out.


If you aren't working, wow, take walks to the park, go to the beach, do active things. Babies are portable, and little kids love to run around.

If you are working, then (like me) you may have to get up early if you want time to work out. I go out for a run at 0530. Not because it's my preference, but because nobody needs me that early.