Re:
hmbpie
Hello! I wanted to take a minute to give everyone who took the time and effort to help me an update. We are still deschooling and Austin is much happier these days with the stress of what he eats taken off his shoulders. It is amazing to me how one statement from a helpful stranger was able to turn the light bulb over my head on and change my way of thinking.
"Food is food" is my new motto instead of:
food is junk
food is toxic
food comes from corporations that are unscrupulous
food is inhumane (seriously sorry to anyone I offended by my earlier statement.)
food will give you cancer, ADD, ADHD, etc.
My point here is I have a lot of issues with labeling food good and bad.
Some on the "Unschooling Babies" thread posted this:
"When I used to worry about not having enough food in college, I would eat anyway even if it was too much and of course I gained weight. Since letting go of food controls in the last several years, a funny thing happened. I realized how much I was thinking and intellectualizing about food instead of paying attention to my body."
I can totally relate to this and it says alot about how food was treated in our house. There was too much thought put into what I bought. Trips to the grocery store were painful because I was an avid label reader. But, right now we have Oreos, Chips O'Hoy, Reece's Pieces, M&M's, Pringles, Ruffles, tortilla chips, Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc., etc., etc.and I have no idea what the labels say ( well, I kinda do but I take deep breaths and tell myself it's OK). We have an abundance of "forbidden" food in our house right now. It's more than I would have bought in a year under previous circumstances.
The other day my husband commented how awesome it is to have so many snacks in the house and that he especially likes having cookies around. Cookies were my forbidden food, especially Oreos. I rarely had them in the house because I would gorge on them and make myself sick. When he said there were cookies in the house I said, "Cookies? We have cookies?" I had totally forgot that not only did we have cookies but we had OREO'S! My biggest food weakness! Someone else on the list suggested I buy 3 bags of Oreos and before I ran out buy more. The thing is I had eaten some when we got them and they were delicious but it just wasn't that big of a deal to me anymore. They were just cookies and there were other things in the house I was more interested in eating. What I believe is different and that has been huge in helping transition to unschooling.
The other day Austin saw a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry and said, "I love this stuff! Can we make some bread!" I jumped and said "SURE!" and we made pumpkin bread (I did have to keep telling myself to ignore the mess that the point was making bread and sharing an experience together not a clean kitchen, I won't lie). For the next couple days we ate pumpkin bread with butter together and enjoyed something we had made as a team. I think before he would have resisted even asking to make food with me because I would have made a big deal about eating what we made.
Austin asks me to make him Monkey Platters all the time now. He loves the idea and where it came from. He's not denying his hunger because he's afraid of my reaction to food or worried that I'll bring him something I know he doesn't like because it's healthy. Right now he is enjoying things like muenster, cheddar, salami, smoked turkey, shrimp, ham, wheat crackers, Ritz crackers, peanut butter, pumpkin bread with butter, popcorn, cracklin oat bran, peanut butter cups, Reece's, strawberry milk, Kool-Aide Jammers and grape juice. And that's just the things he likes. He is much more open to tell me whether he loves, likes, or hates what is on the plate. I think before he said he hated things because he was afraid if he said he liked it I would bring it up the next time I gave it to him or jump on him liking something and make him eat it over and over again under the pretense, "You said you liked it before". Now I offer food because I love him and want to do something nice for him and want to fill his needs not because it's time or because he needs to eat apples or his body won't work properly. Before I sat down here I made him a deli-style tray and put some prosciutto on it (he likes bacon and salty things so I thought he would like it). He ate it, asked what it was and told me he didn't really like it. He said it tasted like soap.
I just wanted to say thank you all for your help.
"Food is food" is my new motto instead of:
food is junk
food is toxic
food comes from corporations that are unscrupulous
food is inhumane (seriously sorry to anyone I offended by my earlier statement.)
food will give you cancer, ADD, ADHD, etc.
My point here is I have a lot of issues with labeling food good and bad.
Some on the "Unschooling Babies" thread posted this:
"When I used to worry about not having enough food in college, I would eat anyway even if it was too much and of course I gained weight. Since letting go of food controls in the last several years, a funny thing happened. I realized how much I was thinking and intellectualizing about food instead of paying attention to my body."
I can totally relate to this and it says alot about how food was treated in our house. There was too much thought put into what I bought. Trips to the grocery store were painful because I was an avid label reader. But, right now we have Oreos, Chips O'Hoy, Reece's Pieces, M&M's, Pringles, Ruffles, tortilla chips, Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc., etc., etc.and I have no idea what the labels say ( well, I kinda do but I take deep breaths and tell myself it's OK). We have an abundance of "forbidden" food in our house right now. It's more than I would have bought in a year under previous circumstances.
The other day my husband commented how awesome it is to have so many snacks in the house and that he especially likes having cookies around. Cookies were my forbidden food, especially Oreos. I rarely had them in the house because I would gorge on them and make myself sick. When he said there were cookies in the house I said, "Cookies? We have cookies?" I had totally forgot that not only did we have cookies but we had OREO'S! My biggest food weakness! Someone else on the list suggested I buy 3 bags of Oreos and before I ran out buy more. The thing is I had eaten some when we got them and they were delicious but it just wasn't that big of a deal to me anymore. They were just cookies and there were other things in the house I was more interested in eating. What I believe is different and that has been huge in helping transition to unschooling.
The other day Austin saw a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry and said, "I love this stuff! Can we make some bread!" I jumped and said "SURE!" and we made pumpkin bread (I did have to keep telling myself to ignore the mess that the point was making bread and sharing an experience together not a clean kitchen, I won't lie). For the next couple days we ate pumpkin bread with butter together and enjoyed something we had made as a team. I think before he would have resisted even asking to make food with me because I would have made a big deal about eating what we made.
Austin asks me to make him Monkey Platters all the time now. He loves the idea and where it came from. He's not denying his hunger because he's afraid of my reaction to food or worried that I'll bring him something I know he doesn't like because it's healthy. Right now he is enjoying things like muenster, cheddar, salami, smoked turkey, shrimp, ham, wheat crackers, Ritz crackers, peanut butter, pumpkin bread with butter, popcorn, cracklin oat bran, peanut butter cups, Reece's, strawberry milk, Kool-Aide Jammers and grape juice. And that's just the things he likes. He is much more open to tell me whether he loves, likes, or hates what is on the plate. I think before he said he hated things because he was afraid if he said he liked it I would bring it up the next time I gave it to him or jump on him liking something and make him eat it over and over again under the pretense, "You said you liked it before". Now I offer food because I love him and want to do something nice for him and want to fill his needs not because it's time or because he needs to eat apples or his body won't work properly. Before I sat down here I made him a deli-style tray and put some prosciutto on it (he likes bacon and salty things so I thought he would like it). He ate it, asked what it was and told me he didn't really like it. He said it tasted like soap.
I just wanted to say thank you all for your help.
hmbpie
I checked this letter so many times that when it came time to send I forgot a subject line. 'doh!
Again, thanks to everyone on this list for helping me see more clearly.
Again, thanks to everyone on this list for helping me see more clearly.
--- In [email protected], "hmbpie" <heatherpie@...> wrote:
>
> Hello! I wanted to take a minute to give everyone who took the time and effort to help me an update. We are still deschooling and Austin is much happier these days with the stress of what he eats taken off his shoulders. It is amazing to me how one statement from a helpful stranger was able to turn the light bulb over my head on and change my way of thinking.
>
>
> "Food is food" is my new motto instead of:
>
>
> food is junk
> food is toxic
> food comes from corporations that are unscrupulous
> food is inhumane (seriously sorry to anyone I offended by my earlier statement.)
> food will give you cancer, ADD, ADHD, etc.
>
>
> My point here is I have a lot of issues with labeling food good and bad.
> Some on the "Unschooling Babies" thread posted this:
>
>
> "When I used to worry about not having enough food in college, I would eat anyway even if it was too much and of course I gained weight. Since letting go of food controls in the last several years, a funny thing happened. I realized how much I was thinking and intellectualizing about food instead of paying attention to my body."
> I can totally relate to this and it says alot about how food was treated in our house. There was too much thought put into what I bought. Trips to the grocery store were painful because I was an avid label reader. But, right now we have Oreos, Chips O'Hoy, Reece's Pieces, M&M's, Pringles, Ruffles, tortilla chips, Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc., etc., etc.and I have no idea what the labels say ( well, I kinda do but I take deep breaths and tell myself it's OK). We have an abundance of "forbidden" food in our house right now. It's more than I would have bought in a year under previous circumstances.
>
>
> The other day my husband commented how awesome it is to have so many snacks in the house and that he especially likes having cookies around. Cookies were my forbidden food, especially Oreos. I rarely had them in the house because I would gorge on them and make myself sick. When he said there were cookies in the house I said, "Cookies? We have cookies?" I had totally forgot that not only did we have cookies but we had OREO'S! My biggest food weakness! Someone else on the list suggested I buy 3 bags of Oreos and before I ran out buy more. The thing is I had eaten some when we got them and they were delicious but it just wasn't that big of a deal to me anymore. They were just cookies and there were other things in the house I was more interested in eating. What I believe is different and that has been huge in helping transition to unschooling.
> The other day Austin saw a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry and said, "I love this stuff! Can we make some bread!" I jumped and said "SURE!" and we made pumpkin bread (I did have to keep telling myself to ignore the mess that the point was making bread and sharing an experience together not a clean kitchen, I won't lie). For the next couple days we ate pumpkin bread with butter together and enjoyed something we had made as a team. I think before he would have resisted even asking to make food with me because I would have made a big deal about eating what we made.
> Austin asks me to make him Monkey Platters all the time now. He loves the idea and where it came from. He's not denying his hunger because he's afraid of my reaction to food or worried that I'll bring him something I know he doesn't like because it's healthy. Right now he is enjoying things like muenster, cheddar, salami, smoked turkey, shrimp, ham, wheat crackers, Ritz crackers, peanut butter, pumpkin bread with butter, popcorn, cracklin oat bran, peanut butter cups, Reece's, strawberry milk, Kool-Aide Jammers and grape juice. And that's just the things he likes. He is much more open to tell me whether he loves, likes, or hates what is on the plate. I think before he said he hated things because he was afraid if he said he liked it I would bring it up the next time I gave it to him or jump on him liking something and make him eat it over and over again under the pretense, "You said you liked it before". Now I offer food because I love him and want to do something nice for him and want to fill his needs not because it's time or because he needs to eat apples or his body won't work properly. Before I sat down here I made him a deli-style tray and put some prosciutto on it (he likes bacon and salty things so I thought he would like it). He ate it, asked what it was and told me he didn't really like it. He said it tasted like soap.
>
>
> I just wanted to say thank you all for your help.
>
hmbpie
I checked this letter so many times that when it came time to send I forgot a subject line. 'doh!
Again, thanks to everyone on this list for helping me see more clearly.
Again, thanks to everyone on this list for helping me see more clearly.
--- In [email protected], "hmbpie" <heatherpie@...> wrote:
>
> Hello! I wanted to take a minute to give everyone who took the time and effort to help me an update. We are still deschooling and Austin is much happier these days with the stress of what he eats taken off his shoulders. It is amazing to me how one statement from a helpful stranger was able to turn the light bulb over my head on and change my way of thinking.
>
>
> "Food is food" is my new motto instead of:
>
>
> food is junk
> food is toxic
> food comes from corporations that are unscrupulous
> food is inhumane (seriously sorry to anyone I offended by my earlier statement.)
> food will give you cancer, ADD, ADHD, etc.
>
>
> My point here is I have a lot of issues with labeling food good and bad.
> Some on the "Unschooling Babies" thread posted this:
>
>
> "When I used to worry about not having enough food in college, I would eat anyway even if it was too much and of course I gained weight. Since letting go of food controls in the last several years, a funny thing happened. I realized how much I was thinking and intellectualizing about food instead of paying attention to my body."
> I can totally relate to this and it says alot about how food was treated in our house. There was too much thought put into what I bought. Trips to the grocery store were painful because I was an avid label reader. But, right now we have Oreos, Chips O'Hoy, Reece's Pieces, M&M's, Pringles, Ruffles, tortilla chips, Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc., etc., etc.and I have no idea what the labels say ( well, I kinda do but I take deep breaths and tell myself it's OK). We have an abundance of "forbidden" food in our house right now. It's more than I would have bought in a year under previous circumstances.
>
>
> The other day my husband commented how awesome it is to have so many snacks in the house and that he especially likes having cookies around. Cookies were my forbidden food, especially Oreos. I rarely had them in the house because I would gorge on them and make myself sick. When he said there were cookies in the house I said, "Cookies? We have cookies?" I had totally forgot that not only did we have cookies but we had OREO'S! My biggest food weakness! Someone else on the list suggested I buy 3 bags of Oreos and before I ran out buy more. The thing is I had eaten some when we got them and they were delicious but it just wasn't that big of a deal to me anymore. They were just cookies and there were other things in the house I was more interested in eating. What I believe is different and that has been huge in helping transition to unschooling.
> The other day Austin saw a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry and said, "I love this stuff! Can we make some bread!" I jumped and said "SURE!" and we made pumpkin bread (I did have to keep telling myself to ignore the mess that the point was making bread and sharing an experience together not a clean kitchen, I won't lie). For the next couple days we ate pumpkin bread with butter together and enjoyed something we had made as a team. I think before he would have resisted even asking to make food with me because I would have made a big deal about eating what we made.
> Austin asks me to make him Monkey Platters all the time now. He loves the idea and where it came from. He's not denying his hunger because he's afraid of my reaction to food or worried that I'll bring him something I know he doesn't like because it's healthy. Right now he is enjoying things like muenster, cheddar, salami, smoked turkey, shrimp, ham, wheat crackers, Ritz crackers, peanut butter, pumpkin bread with butter, popcorn, cracklin oat bran, peanut butter cups, Reece's, strawberry milk, Kool-Aide Jammers and grape juice. And that's just the things he likes. He is much more open to tell me whether he loves, likes, or hates what is on the plate. I think before he said he hated things because he was afraid if he said he liked it I would bring it up the next time I gave it to him or jump on him liking something and make him eat it over and over again under the pretense, "You said you liked it before". Now I offer food because I love him and want to do something nice for him and want to fill his needs not because it's time or because he needs to eat apples or his body won't work properly. Before I sat down here I made him a deli-style tray and put some prosciutto on it (he likes bacon and salty things so I thought he would like it). He ate it, asked what it was and told me he didn't really like it. He said it tasted like soap.
>
>
> I just wanted to say thank you all for your help.
>