Why would you do that?!
Chrissy2627
Posts: 70
Okay so here is my rant for the day- All of us on here know that eating right and exercising are the healthy way of doing things. We all know that bad habits are hard to break. Nothing irritates me more than when I see someone on here with a similar post as this, "It's so hard for me to eat healthy when the kids are eating junk food all day. I just need to stay strong and not look at their treats!" Why, why, why are you teaching your kids the same bad habits that you are trying to break?! Even if they have started out with your old bad habits, help them break it now so they don't have to try to figure it out later in life when they start having healthy/weight problems!!! Okay, I'm done.
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Replies
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Amen!0
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*like*0
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Exactly. I don't want my daughter to have the same struggles with her weight. I don't buy junk and it is never in the house. Kids do not need soda, chips and candy - they don't.0
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I agree 100% with you I understand give them treats every know and then but not all the time. They need to learn good eatting habits and not rely on junk food all the time. My daughter eats some veggies, fruits, yogurt she does eat healthier stuff but every know and then I give her a treat. But not all the time and not every day!0
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That is so true!!! I have a friend that is dieting and has small children and she feels that she has to cook two meals! I just dont get that. Cook healthy for the family!!! : )0
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That is the truth! I love my fiancee, and try to get him to eat healthy, but I can't watch him 24/7, but you do what you can.0
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Like! One of my big motivators for trying to get healthy is raising my son in a healthy environment so that he doesn't have to struggle with it the way I do.
Having said that, my 3 year old is not on a diet, so I do allow him more snacks, treats, et cetera than I can afford to allow myself while I am working on actively restricting my calories. But I try to make sure that the majority of them are healthy snacks and treats!0 -
Agreed!0
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Agree but I also want my kids to have a healthy attitude towards food and that there aren't "bad foods". Our philosophy is moderation in everything.0
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great post
when I changed my eatting habbits so did my children and hubby. I do the shopping and cooking (plus all the extra house things lmbo) so they get what I get end of story. I no longer buy soda , hardly ever have chips in the house and when they get candy (think Easter , Halloween I let them have 2-3 peices each day for that week and toss the rest as I don`t want it in the house). There snacks are cheese sticks , carrots , kiwi, apples , plums , grapes , strawberries , celary with peanut butter , rasins , and many other fruits and vegies and at age 4 and 6 I haven`t had one single complaint yet
Hubby I give a slightly larger portion too since he is male but thats it he still gets the same healthier options and yes I messure his as well ( I just don`t tell him lol ) and I also pack his lunch for work and snacks. I kinda wish he would stand on the scale lol because I think I`m doing him alot of good as well lol ( had to take his work slacks in an inch last week ) 0 -
I agree; it's opposite for me actually. I usually always make sure my kids are having a healthy and balanced meal, and then I'm the one who struggles with snacking or more often simply larger portions. I wish I made myself eat like my kids! ... I have no idea why some do the opposite, but I'm sure it's not because they want to hurt their children. Probably because they're tired, exhausted, not wanting to say no, and don't realize that by making their kids happy with their food (by giving them fun food) they're really creating serious damage ... but as like most anything else, if I could actually "understand" why then I'd be in their position ... often it's hard to understand a frame of mind unless you're actually that person (we're all different) ... each with our own struggles, and weaknesses. 0
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I have always stuck with a "this is what we have eat it or don't, but this is all there is." That means snacks, meals, all of it. I have totally changed all our eating habits in the last year... now my daughters love eating all sorts of healthier snacks, and I am not tempted by bad ones because I almost never buy them anymore!0
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We don't have kids but I watch my nieces waddling down the road of Morbid Obesity to the town of Injected Insulin! It breaks my heart that the family has such a hard time getting healthy...'cause I am not talking about skinny or beach-body...just healthy.0
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Kids need more calories? I'm pretty sure most children don't run around dieting and eating 1200 calories a day... NOPE. Maybe that is why the parents find it hard to diet? It's hard to diet when people around you, even if they are children, are eating more calories than you are. I'm not a parent, but maybe the unhealthy food they are jealous of isn't even that unhealthy.... Perhaps it is just the fact that they get to eat more calories than the parents.
I find this post extremely rude. I was brought up in a family where my mom was constantly dieting (she is 5'6" and weighs 118 pounds to this day), and she was VERY health concious with her children and herself. I rememeber she used to ask if she could just "smell my food" because it was SO different than hers. I was borderline underweight growing up, and I ate ALOT. Mac and cheese. PB & J shandwhichs, ice cream cone, ceral... those are all healthy foods, but they are just high in calories...
You should really watch what you are saying because it's really rude... Children deserve to not be stuck eating only dieters food... If I had my mom's diet when I was a child, I probably would have been severly underweight... but for her, it was a healthy diet to maintain her small weight at an older age..
I don't really find this needed...0 -
I agree 100%. My daughter only eats what I eat. We don't have soda in the house, processed foods, or junk. She complains that the worst thing is chocolate almond milk. HAHA! I don't want her to become hooked on artificial foods, or sugar. It's sets a bad example that she will struggle with if she doesn't learn now.
I also make it a point to see if she emotionally eats. If she gets upset & heads to the fridge, I divert her attention to helping me with something for at least 5 minutes until she calms down, and forget that she wanted to eat.
One other thing on here that I find hilarious are those that eat like crap & yet are surprised that they are not losing. I tend to look at others dairies if they are stuck, but I NEVER comment on what they are eating. I'm shocked at how much processed foods, and sodium people are taking in. Don't they know that Sweet N Low is the devil? It works against your diet. Also frozen "healthy" dinners/lunches. It's a shame, but I'm not stupid enough to say anything.
This is a very personal journey and we can only hold ourselves accountable. I'm thankful for my stubborn personality, and for educating myself on what is the best foods for me. Thanks for the post!!0 -
I agree about the junk. However, I have a child who is actually underweight and my other one hovers precariously close to being underweight so high fat (not junk) foods are a part of our life. Whole fat yogurt with cream, lots of butter, 2% milk, avocados, nuts, peanut butter, cheese, bacon...all things I can't eat much of but exist in my home for a reason so it is tempting sometimes. I've learned to control my portions.0
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Kids need more calories? I'm pretty sure most children don't run around dieting and eating 1200 calories a day... NOPE. Maybe that is why the parents find it hard to diet? It's hard to diet when people around you, even if they are children, are eating more calories than you are. I'm not a parent, but maybe the unhealthy food they are jealous of isn't even that unhealthy.... Perhaps it is just the fact that they get to eat more calories than the parents.
I find this post extremely rude. I was brought up in a family where my mom was constantly dieting (she is 5'6" and weighs 118 pounds to this day), and she was VERY health concious with her children and herself. I rememeber she used to ask if she could just "smell my food" because it was SO different than hers. I was borderline underweight growing up, and I ate ALOT. Mac and cheese. PB & J shandwhichs, ice cream cone, ceral... those are all healthy foods, but they are just high in calories...
You should really watch what you are saying because it's really rude... Children deserve to not be stuck eating only dieters food... If I had my mom's diet when I was a child, I probably would have been severly underweight... but for her, it was a healthy diet to maintain her small weight at an older age..
I don't really find this needed...
I am a parent. I don't eat "diet food". I eat whole foods. I feed my family those foods.
I would argue whether mac and cheese and ice cream are healthy... I wouldn't say you should NEVER eat them, but their health value is highly debatable.0 -
Actually ice cream is one of the foods our pediatrician has recommended for my underweight daughter, vanilla with no additives and in moderation of course.0
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Kids need more calories? I'm pretty sure most children don't run around dieting and eating 1200 calories a day... NOPE. Maybe that is why the parents find it hard to diet? It's hard to diet when people around you, even if they are children, are eating more calories than you are. I'm not a parent, but maybe the unhealthy food they are jealous of isn't even that unhealthy.... Perhaps it is just the fact that they get to eat more calories than the parents.
I find this post extremely rude. I was brought up in a family where my mom was constantly dieting (she is 5'6" and weighs 118 pounds to this day), and she was VERY health concious with her children and herself. I rememeber she used to ask if she could just "smell my food" because it was SO different than hers. I was borderline underweight growing up, and I ate ALOT. Mac and cheese. PB & J shandwhichs, ice cream cone, ceral... those are all healthy foods, but they are just high in calories...
You should really watch what you are saying because it's really rude... Children deserve to not be stuck eating only dieters food... If I had my mom's diet when I was a child, I probably would have been severly underweight... but for her, it was a healthy diet to maintain her small weight at an older age..
I don't really find this needed...
I agree with you, kids growing up watching 'dieting' can become self-consious... at risk for eating disorders, and have an unrealistic view of their weight and body.
BUT Showing kids how to eat healthy and exercise so they are HEALTHY and STRONG is not a bad thing. Being a mom, with a history of eating disorders, with a daughter... I will NEVER force her to 'diet' or comment rudely about her weight or body.... But I WILL be an example for her showing her what foods are good for her and how important physical activity is to living a healthy and happy lifestyle.
Teaching them to be AWARE of what they are putting into their bodies, AWARE of the benefits of exercise, and the golden rule of moderation.0 -
I was very lucky in my youth that my mom didn't let my sisters and I have junk food because she was diabetic. I was never allowed to eat kids cereal, capri sun, regular kool-aid, lunchables, etc. but they became like a forbidden fruit to us kids- we wanted them, just because we weren't allowed. I have 3 sisters, we were all normal weight when younger, but most of us expanded once we learned to feed ourselves. No that we are all in our early 20s we are finally learning to control our diets, but if I feel like I could have been taught differently. Food is food, whether it is good or bad nutritionally there should be no stigma about it, just moderation.0
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I agree about the junk. However, I have a child who is actually underweight and my other one hovers precariously close to being underweight so high fat (not junk) foods are a part of our life. Whole fat yogurt with cream, lots of butter, 2% milk, avocados, nuts, peanut butter, cheese, bacon...all things I can't eat much of but exist in my home for a reason so it is tempting sometimes. I've learned to control my portions.
Same thing with me but my daughter is the normal weight. But I have whole milk just for her, I have juice, I have chips but I don't eat it, I have sodas but I never touch them. My husband drinks them but not all the time soo it isn't that bad. But I learn how to control my self instead of me getting chips I go for the carrots its a better option for me.0 -
Kids need more calories? I'm pretty sure most children don't run around dieting and eating 1200 calories a day... NOPE. Maybe that is why the parents find it hard to diet? It's hard to diet when people around you, even if they are children, are eating more calories than you are. I'm not a parent, but maybe the unhealthy food they are jealous of isn't even that unhealthy.... Perhaps it is just the fact that they get to eat more calories than the parents.
I find this post extremely rude. I was brought up in a family where my mom was constantly dieting (she is 5'6" and weighs 118 pounds to this day), and she was VERY health concious with her children and herself. I rememeber she used to ask if she could just "smell my food" because it was SO different than hers. I was borderline underweight growing up, and I ate ALOT. Mac and cheese. PB & J shandwhichs, ice cream cone, ceral... those are all healthy foods, but they are just high in calories...
You should really watch what you are saying because it's really rude... Children deserve to not be stuck eating only dieters food... If I had my mom's diet when I was a child, I probably would have been severly underweight... but for her, it was a healthy diet to maintain her small weight at an older age..
I don't really find this needed...
I'm having a hard time seeing what was so offensive in the OP post. I read her post as..."if you are having a hard time watching your kids snack on cheetos and twinkies while you are eating carrots and apples, then just feed your kids carrots and apples as well. they will thank you in the long run anyways." I could be missing something though0 -
but fried chicken nuggets and fries in red boxes makes kids happy... there is even a smiley face on the box to prove it... infact... it says on tv... and tv doesnt lie... period... my heart just goes out to those parents.. it is hard to have self discipline.. even if you have no parenting discipline...0
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Here is a counterpoint. (And I don't gripe about having snacks in the house.) I do not plan to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time. It's no way to live, in my opinion. Kids cannot be taught to make healthy choices if they don't have a chance to MAKE CHOICES. In other words, placing them inside a bubble that they will definitely not be living in for life denies them the chance to learn what a choice is. We keep cookies and such in the house for our kids and ourselves. We've been told repeatedly that my 4-yo has the healthiest lunches of any kid in his pre-school/kindergarten. Here are some of the rules he has to live with.
(1) If you don't eat all of your dinner, no desert/treat. No exceptions.
(2) If you don't eat your fruit at lunch, THAT is you desert after dinner.
(3) Every trip to the grocery store, you may pick out one snack food as long as you also pick out one fruit or vegetable.
Does my 4-yo love pizza, chicken nuggets, chips, and cookies? Yes! And he gets them in moderation. If he's asked what he wants for dinner, what will he say? Seriously? Broccoli, chicken, and rice. What's his favorite eat-out restaurant? Subway. Does he like McDonalds and ChuckECheese? Yes, but mostly it's about the playground and/or games. His favorite weekly activity? Our trips to the farmer's market.
If you're letting your kids have the run of junk food, you're teaching them bad habits. HOWEVER, if you deny yourself foods that you will not be denying yourself for life and/or not giving them choices, you are also teaching them bad habits. If you want to learn to make healthy choices for yourself most of the time and teach your kids to do the same, you have to model healthy choices AND allow them to make choices.0 -
I agree that kids shouldn't be eating junk food. But they also don't need to be eating "diet food". However I don't think most of us should be eating diet food either. I do feel guilty sometimes though serving my underweight 3 year old grilled chicken and brown rice for dinner. I add cheese to her rice or something.0
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Kids need more calories? I'm pretty sure most children don't run around dieting and eating 1200 calories a day... NOPE. Maybe that is why the parents find it hard to diet? It's hard to diet when people around you, even if they are children, are eating more calories than you are. I'm not a parent, but maybe the unhealthy food they are jealous of isn't even that unhealthy.... Perhaps it is just the fact that they get to eat more calories than the parents.
I find this post extremely rude. I was brought up in a family where my mom was constantly dieting (she is 5'6" and weighs 118 pounds to this day), and she was VERY health concious with her children and herself. I rememeber she used to ask if she could just "smell my food" because it was SO different than hers. I was borderline underweight growing up, and I ate ALOT. Mac and cheese. PB & J shandwhichs, ice cream cone, ceral... those are all healthy foods, but they are just high in calories...
You should really watch what you are saying because it's really rude... Children deserve to not be stuck eating only dieters food... If I had my mom's diet when I was a child, I probably would have been severly underweight... but for her, it was a healthy diet to maintain her small weight at an older age..
I don't really find this needed...
I am a parent. I don't eat "diet food". I eat whole foods. I feed my family those foods.
I would argue whether mac and cheese and ice cream are healthy... I wouldn't say you should NEVER eat them, but their health value is highly debatable.
This! I am also a parent and I sure as heII don't eat "diet" food. Blech! My daughter eats what we eat. If she wants a snack, she gets one... apple slices, oranges, strawberries, graham crackers, PB sandwich (on whole grain bread), etc.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/baisleac/view/-dinner-ideas-needed-that-my-family-will-eat-too-967700 -
I think kids need to learn balance in their diet and that it is ok to have junk sometimes. I don't see a problem as long as their meals aren't tastykakes and lollipops.0
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Thank-you!!! I'm divorced and have 2 boys ages 9 & 12. Their father eats nothing but garbage and sees no problem with taking them for fast food nearly every day! He has no idea what proper nutrition is, he was once a competitive power lifter but he never did eat well. Seriously, the man weighs in at no less than 400 lbs now. I have serious concerns with my kids seeing this as being healthy. I have been trying to make sure I feed them as healthy as possible when they are with me and I always encourage them to exercise with me. We have discussions about how to eat properly and what can happen if they don't. They're both overweight now...I don't want for them to have the same issues I deal with when they grow up. Kids need to understand that treats are just that, TREATS, not an everyday thing. Scary!0
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I think we are inherently lazy. Or at least predisposed to make the choice that requires the least amount of effort. And kids can WEAR. US. DOWN. Knowing this, I try to be patient with other parents. My wife and I both had the advantage of working many years in direct childcare, including an emergency shelter that was 24 hour care in a home environment - so lots of meals with kids. We had practice in firmly stating to the kids: this is dinner. You don't have to clean your plate, but you must *try* everything before getting seconds of anything else (or dessert). We gave them a variety of stuff. Sometimes they would be stubborn and refuse to eat anything. We weren't hard *kitten*. But were politely firm. "I understand you don't like anything on the plate. That is your choice to not eat anything. No, you cannot have dessert. I'm sorry." It will not kill a child to skip a meal.
Now that we have two girls of our own (7 and 9), we use the same principles. We are lucky in that we participate in a neighborhood food share - cook one night a week for four families (us + three other families), and deliver food to the other three families. Three nights a week, food is delivered to us. One of the families is vegan, so the whole dinnershare is. Our meals are generally pretty healthy, always tasty, and the kids are pretty good about trying new things.
I think my wife and I were lucky in that we learned THE SECRET before we had our own children: that short-term battle you just caved on can create a long-term war that is 100 times more difficult to fight. That's not to say we don't pick our battles. But let's face it: clear, consistent discipline requires more effort than the other extremes: totally lenient or a complete hard-*kitten*/say no to everything. The short-term hassle of patiently setting limits has a long-term benefit. And that hassle can be annoying as hell, especially after a long day, out at a restaurant when you just want to eat dinner. But it's worth it. It is an investment. There are no quick fixes.
Hmmm.. kinda sounds like changing my eating habits and lifestyle around healthier choices...0 -
Okay so here is my rant for the day- All of us on here know that eating right and exercising are the healthy way of doing things. We all know that bad habits are hard to break. Nothing irritates me more than when I see someone on here with a similar post as this, "It's so hard for me to eat healthy when the kids are eating junk food all day. I just need to stay strong and not look at their treats!" Why, why, why are you teaching your kids the same bad habits that you are trying to break?! Even if they have started out with your old bad habits, help them break it now so they don't have to try to figure it out later in life when they start having healthy/weight problems!!! Okay, I'm done.
Agreed!0
This discussion has been closed.
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