You should have seen the "dagger eyes" I got from my little

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  • Kcinnamon
    Kcinnamon Posts: 26 Member
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    My daughter is ten, and when i started she had a problem, but I've found some really great homemade recipes that she loves. Crockpot cheeseburgers (search in the recipe section) is one of our favorites, and turkey or chicken nuggets, anything made at home is so much better than packaged stuff you buy in the store. I've even got her eating salad now cause i got the dole southwest salad kit, and she said it doesn't taste like salad at all. you just need to find some great alternatives. She wanted pop tarts, so i got her those 100 cal packs of pop tart crisps. I got her the yogurt that had the cookie crumbs to mix into it. We're so lucky there are so many low cal alternatives right now. Special K chips are great, and aunt millies Healthy white bread is only 100 cal for 2 slices. fat free hot dogs are 40 cal instead of 180. Just keep your eyes open in the store.

    Lot's of luck :-)
  • Leola2011
    Leola2011 Posts: 192
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    I want to encourage you to take the emotion out of this situation.

    I'm not saying to be a cold-blooded witch about the thing, but try not to feed into the drama or the potential for drama. Kids will generally not let themselves starve to death (unless there are some underlying issues. In which case, you'd need some other intervention), so they'll eventually eat what's being provided for them. He may balk at and initially refuse to eat salad and brown rice or whatever you put in front of him. But after a while, when no other choice is given, the dynamic will change.

    Hurt feelings, temper tantrums, resistance, refusal, all of those things may or MAY NOT happen. Either way, we as parents can't afford to get wrapped up in the up and down that comes with parenting through something uncomfortable. As long as you continue to be matter-of-fact about things, he'll learn some valuable lessons in self-discipline and maturity....not to mention healthy eating habits.
  • Tracyrocksss
    Tracyrocksss Posts: 45
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    Kcinnnnn!! I LOVE your suggestionsss!!! THANK you!:)
  • Tracyrocksss
    Tracyrocksss Posts: 45
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    oopsss- forgot to post to Leola!! ((Thanks, love)))---and while I appreciate your post, I have to say that I am already aware of every word and practice it daily at home AND in my career!!!!!lol- I teach 750 kids art every week and I totally LIVE by the rule that you have to compartmentalize emotions vs. "what you need to do to be successful"
    I guess my post was because I simply needed a pat on the back, or an encouraging word, or some "misery loves company" kind of thing--haaaaaaaaaaaa---- I KNOW what to do with my little man and I know how to get there...It's just not going to be "fun" you know what I mean!!????:(
  • Leola2011
    Leola2011 Posts: 192
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    I wasn't suggesting that you didn't know how to handle your son, and I hope you really didn't take my comment that way. I hope you weren't offended at all. What I was getting at was the pace of his adjustment to the transition will be set primarily by you and your commitment to do things differently, which I think is pretty much what everyone else on this thread was saying. In no way was I attempting to insult you or imply that you didn't have what it takes to ride out the opposition. I was also saying that there might not be as much opposition as perhaps expected. Sometimes, we as parents anticipate more of a storm than what actually takes place. So again, my post wasn't designed to discourage you. And forgive me if I came across that way.
  • Tracyrocksss
    Tracyrocksss Posts: 45
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    Nnnnnnnoo!!Noy at all Miss Le!! I appreciated it and everything you wrote made sense and is very helpful
    I think you are going to be (or already have been!!??) a great source of support for me and a lot of people on here! And you know what--I especially like your thought that maybe the fight might not be as hard as I think it will be.....Just becuseI assuuuuuuuume he will be "sad" and have a difficult time adjusting sure doesn't make it so, huh!??xo
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Another thing I would suggest so the transition isn't so crazy, so to do half and half.. like half healthy cereal and maybe a quarter of a sugar one. Gradually reduce the amount of sugary cereal and increase the amount of healthy cereal. That way he's still getting healthy and it's not such a shock to his system.

    Also, make it fun.. you can make ants on a log out of celery, peanut butter and raisins. If he's eating broccoli tell him he's eating little trees. Theres all sorts of ways to make healthy food fun and appetizing.

    As far as chocolate milk goes, my favorite thing to do(if you can afford this, not sure where the budget lies!) is to buy the little cartons of organic valley chocolate milk or horizon chocolate milk. You can buy a case of 12 which is like 15 dollars at whole foods, or buy just a few individual ones. The best part about that is once that 8 oz serving is gone, it's gone. He can't go pour more because its not in the house and it's not a glass.
  • Tracyrocksss
    Tracyrocksss Posts: 45
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    Dad 106!! I LOVE that idea about the choco milk!!!! I need to do that for ME too! GREAT idea-- I could drink my weight in chockie milk...lol...
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
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    Start him off early! I babysit a younger girl, and the things she eats is ridiculous.. she doesn't eat vegetables, even apples are gross. I think she likes bananas.. but I'm not too sure. She eats pizza pockets, ice cream, cookies, chips, etc. every time I am over there. She's addicted to junk food and she's only a child. Her taste buds are used to sweet, salty, over processed foods. I know kids are supposed to grow.. but in the past year she's gained 20 pounds.. she has a learning disability and I don't think her eating habits are helping her at all.
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
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    I raised my own four and had a childcare for 11 years. During that time I was pretty healthy. Once every week or two I put a handful of sugared cereal in the bowl of healthy cereal. They had to eat all of the cereal not just the sweet ones. Also instead of syrup, which is essentialy liquid sugar we always used peanut butter on pancakes and waffles. One of the favorite treats was fresh spinach leaves with peanut butter spead on them, fold in half . They would eat tons of these, go figure. Once a month or so let him have a sweet treat. It won't take long for him to realize that it is REALLY sugary. Help him learn to read food labels and learn portion control. My husband of 35 years just ate a whole can of chicken soup and thought that it was one serving. I had to show him how to read it. People get heavy in part because they don't understand portion control because when we eat out the servings are 2-4 times a healthy single portion. It's awesome that you are taking this journey now rather than when he is older and can leave the house and eat what he wants. He'll learn as he sees how healthy you are becoming. YAY you!

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