Healthy Discoveries and Blah Books

I got a lot of feedback from my post about my daughter commenting on being "chubby." Thank you all for the encouragement and unexpectedly enough, the confessions! So many of you identified with the admission that I often use the TV as a babysitter, don't play with my child enough and have not been very proactive in feeding her healthfully or giving her more opportunities to exercise/play. Why did you, like me, feel the need to confess? Maybe because you're tired of pretending to be Ms./Mr. perfect parent. Maybe you were just dying for someone to be the first to raise their hand and speak up because it would give you courage to then raise your hand and speak up. And I'm not surprised that it's an issue for so many. I mean, the childhood obesity rate is now 16.9% of the population (as reported here). I think more of us need to take a look at where it all begins..at home and go from there. I will address that in a moment.

We cannot change what we don't acknowledge (quote from Dr. Phil...or somebody?), so the fact that we're at least willing to take an honest look at our role in our child's obesity is a great first step! I commend you for your bravery and willingness to come under judgement, scrutiny and condemnation. However, you will find none here, and I hope to receive the same mercies.

Well, I promised to keep you updated, so here are some fun new things that I'm loving!

 The first discovery...My daughter will drink water (which she gags at if it's in a glass or sippy cup) if it's bottled. She will gladly drink it plain, but for a little treat I add a squeeze of Mio (have you tried this stuff?). I have to do a little more research on how good or bad it is for you (I'm sure it's not good for you, but I have to do a little more reading up on it), but I love it as well. I even carry it in my purse! At like, $3.99 for that tiny bottle, it's not cheap, but I figured that each serving only costs about $0.16 and coupled with a small bottle of water, costs just $0.29. So, at least she's not drinking sugary drinks (Kool-Aid and apple juice). Not that I know she'll drink bottled water, I'd like to invest in some sort of water filter so that I can just reuse the bottles. 

But one thing at a time please, or my head will explode!

Sorry for the sideways pic, but here is another great discovery....frozen yogurt cups! I saw a Danonino (a brand of kid's yogurt) commercial where they did this and I thought I'd try it too, and it works beautifully.My mom had bought my daughter the Yoplait "Dora the Explorer" brand of yogurt, which has very low sugar, so I just used those. And I will be using them MORE!

She loves them! And another added bonus is they don't seem to melt like 

ice cream or other frozen treats, so they're not too messy! 

I just stuck a dollar store plastic baby spoon in the top, stuck it in the freezer and voila! 

Awesome, healthy, low cal, low sugar snack!

Just added for self-gratification, I can't get enough of that face...she's soooo cute!!!!

Now, back to starting at home and taking personal responsibility for your child's health. I checked out all of 

 

THESE...

books from the library and I am kind of disappointed (although not surprised...except for the Bible there at the top...not disappointed in it at all, just to make that clear...lol) about what they have to say. Granted, I have not read all of these books, but I did skim the chapters of most of them. And they all pretty much have the same things to say, "Childhood Obesity...the Pandemic!", "Your Child and the Evils of Food Advertising," "Lousy School Lunches," "Not so Happy Meal" and things of that nature. I have yet to see one chapter that addresses, "Mom and Dad, You're Allowing Your Kid to Eat Crap!" Maybe I should write a book and make that my first chapter! Maybe placating people sells books. Passing the buck seems to be the trend nowadays. The blame has to fall on someone, but certainly not...never me! 

Could school lunches be better? Oh my gosh, YES! I've seen them, I've eaten them, they're gross! And for the children on free and reduced lunches (as I was..however when I went to elementary school in the 80's in rural Appalachia, the lunches were fresh, usually homemade and scrumptious! I never saw a tortilla chip dowsed with runny yellow "cheese" until I started student teaching in 2003), the government and schools that provide those students with a lunch that they have no choice but to take, or starve all day, should be doing better by them! Do advertisers use shady tactics to lure children to buy their products? Absolutely. Their job is to sell their stuff. But they don't lure kids to buy them. Last time I checked, it was illegal for children under the age of 15 or 16 to hold a job and earn money. So how are they getting these products? Yeah...hopefully you get the picture.

So, as I do my research to educate myself on nutrition in children and what activity they require, etc. I'm finding book after book by the "pros" who are all joined together in a round of "Ring Around the Rosie," united in their singing of "The Blame Game Song." Ugg...reading all this should be loads of fun.