Food seems to be one of the main topics of my life these days. Isaac and I find that our beliefs around children and food differ from that of our society and many of the people in our lives.
I do not believe in snacking. A scheduled daily snack is one thing, but throwing gold fish at your kid throughout the day as a distraction is another. Not giving your child snacks teaches them self control and gives them the ability to delay gratification. Studies show that this leads to greater success in the future. Why do so many people think this is unfair and strict? Teaching your children to wait leads to significantly less problems with behavior, addictions, and obesity. Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I believe that teaching your child self control is pretty important.
I believe in eating meals together as a family. I do not believe in eating in front of the TV. I believe that children should eat what adults eat - as they do in almost every country besides the US. I do not believe in kids menu's at restaurants. I think that if your child doesn't want to eat what you put in front of them, then they don't eat at all. Making a child a replacement meal because they decide they don't like something sets you and them up for failure.
As a pregnant woman, I am not the best example of someone living a snack-less lifestyle, but I think there are exceptions...
I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDelete