Re: [unschoolingbasics] strategies regarding food
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/4/2006 12:33:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jamesandtina942@... writes:
She is tiny for her age so
that adds to my worries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Compared to whom? I would start thinking of her as just the right size
rather than tiny.
Our 6 year old (Sam) is a sugar addict. We have always had candy and junk
but I rationed it until a few months ago when I stopped telling my children what
to eat. He has a history of anemia and low energy and we have carried him a
lot due to his fatigue, since he was born.
On Monday we visited a 100 acre park and he ran and climbed and lead the rest
of us through the museums and gardens. My husband pointed out how much
energy he's had lately and how we haven't had to carry him in a few months. I
later mentioned it to Sam and said that he seemed to have a lot more energy since
he's been eating healthier. His response was "No, Mom, I have more energy
since I've been eating what I want." The latter is true. He has been having ice
cream for breakfast sometimes, a lot of soda because of the cookout season,
candy, etc., without limits. He also eats a variety of other foods along with
all the junk. Basically, since I stopped worrying about what the kids eat,
there has become nothing to worry about.
Try to let go. Many pediatricians will tell you that kids don't generally eat
a balanced diet each day but take in a balanced diet each month. That is
true for my children as they sometimes eat a whole bag of carrots and then don't
eat another carrot for a week or they eat a pound of steak and have no meat
for a while. It does work out. Since you're kids are so young, you still have a
lot of control about what foods you provide and bring into the home. Find
stuff they love that is healthy and keep it available. My kids have been eating
watermelon and plums for weeks and can't get enough of them. We buy mostly
organic, whole foods but there are M &M's and Pringles in our cupboards as
well. Let your kids add some items to your grocery list and see how their
requests change over time as you surrender control.
Also, grazing is a much healthier way to eat than cleaning your plate at each
sitting. Take it from my strong, lean children who consume food all day and
their chunky parents who eat three square meals.
We adults have a lot to learn and we have been learning a lot by listening to
our kids.
Peace,
Robin in MA
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
jamesandtina942@... writes:
She is tiny for her age so
that adds to my worries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Compared to whom? I would start thinking of her as just the right size
rather than tiny.
Our 6 year old (Sam) is a sugar addict. We have always had candy and junk
but I rationed it until a few months ago when I stopped telling my children what
to eat. He has a history of anemia and low energy and we have carried him a
lot due to his fatigue, since he was born.
On Monday we visited a 100 acre park and he ran and climbed and lead the rest
of us through the museums and gardens. My husband pointed out how much
energy he's had lately and how we haven't had to carry him in a few months. I
later mentioned it to Sam and said that he seemed to have a lot more energy since
he's been eating healthier. His response was "No, Mom, I have more energy
since I've been eating what I want." The latter is true. He has been having ice
cream for breakfast sometimes, a lot of soda because of the cookout season,
candy, etc., without limits. He also eats a variety of other foods along with
all the junk. Basically, since I stopped worrying about what the kids eat,
there has become nothing to worry about.
Try to let go. Many pediatricians will tell you that kids don't generally eat
a balanced diet each day but take in a balanced diet each month. That is
true for my children as they sometimes eat a whole bag of carrots and then don't
eat another carrot for a week or they eat a pound of steak and have no meat
for a while. It does work out. Since you're kids are so young, you still have a
lot of control about what foods you provide and bring into the home. Find
stuff they love that is healthy and keep it available. My kids have been eating
watermelon and plums for weeks and can't get enough of them. We buy mostly
organic, whole foods but there are M &M's and Pringles in our cupboards as
well. Let your kids add some items to your grocery list and see how their
requests change over time as you surrender control.
Also, grazing is a much healthier way to eat than cleaning your plate at each
sitting. Take it from my strong, lean children who consume food all day and
their chunky parents who eat three square meals.
We adults have a lot to learn and we have been learning a lot by listening to
our kids.
Peace,
Robin in MA
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Kristie Cochran
I have to agree here. You can't look at her as "tiny." She's the right
size for her genes. My boys are *much* smaller than your girl. They
are both only 3% for height and weight. My Ped isn't worried about it,
and I'm not either (well, a little only because they're short, but
there's nothing I can do about it). They stay on their 3% curve and are
happy and healthy little boys, and they eat what they want, when they
want, including candy. Some days, especially when it's hot (like NOW),
they eat lots and lots of popsicles and not a lot of food, but that's
what their bodies want.
Kristie in VA
ohpurple1@... wrote:
size for her genes. My boys are *much* smaller than your girl. They
are both only 3% for height and weight. My Ped isn't worried about it,
and I'm not either (well, a little only because they're short, but
there's nothing I can do about it). They stay on their 3% curve and are
happy and healthy little boys, and they eat what they want, when they
want, including candy. Some days, especially when it's hot (like NOW),
they eat lots and lots of popsicles and not a lot of food, but that's
what their bodies want.
Kristie in VA
ohpurple1@... wrote:
>
> In a message dated 7/4/2006 12:33:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> jamesandtina942@... <mailto:jamesandtina942%40hotmail.com> writes:
> She is tiny for her age so
> that adds to my worries.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Compared to whom? I would start thinking of her as just the right size
> rather than tiny.
>
Beth Fleming
Hello,
Just a few thoughts that emerged yesterday as I was sorting legos for my son. I was listening to one of my favorite albums (Amplified Heart by Everything But The Girl) two little ones were napping, my dd 9 was drawing and ds 7 was keeping me company during my 20 minute cleanup before heading off to a july 4 barbecue at the neighbor's house. The lyrics resonated with me, as I and my husband grow closer to unschooling in all aspects of our lives.
"If you lose your faith,babe, you can have mine, and if you're lost, I'm right behind, cause we walk the same line."
I have grown so much in the last year in really believing that we are our kids' partners and that we are here to help them when they fall. We are all on the same journey together. There is so much less pressure when I am not the one in control, but feel like we are working together, lending out faith to one another when it's needed.
Thanks to everyone on this list for helping me to listen and see in a different way. I enjoy so much reading and learning and striving to do better every day.
Peace,
Beth
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Just a few thoughts that emerged yesterday as I was sorting legos for my son. I was listening to one of my favorite albums (Amplified Heart by Everything But The Girl) two little ones were napping, my dd 9 was drawing and ds 7 was keeping me company during my 20 minute cleanup before heading off to a july 4 barbecue at the neighbor's house. The lyrics resonated with me, as I and my husband grow closer to unschooling in all aspects of our lives.
"If you lose your faith,babe, you can have mine, and if you're lost, I'm right behind, cause we walk the same line."
I have grown so much in the last year in really believing that we are our kids' partners and that we are here to help them when they fall. We are all on the same journey together. There is so much less pressure when I am not the one in control, but feel like we are working together, lending out faith to one another when it's needed.
Thanks to everyone on this list for helping me to listen and see in a different way. I enjoy so much reading and learning and striving to do better every day.
Peace,
Beth
New Message Search
Find the message you want faster. Visit your group to try out the improved message search.
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Recent Activity
15
New Members
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SPONSORED LINKS
Secondary school education
Graduate school education
Home school education
Graduate school education online
High school education
Middle school education
.
Unschooling Mom to Frances (9), Will (7), Catherine (2), and Grace (6 months)
www.6uvus.blogspot.com
---------------------------------
Sneak preview the all-new Yahoo.com. It's not radically different. Just radically better.
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Deb
--- In [email protected], ohpurple1@... wrote:
I've known since DS was born (he's 8 now) that he didn't seem to eat
on a 24 hr day. It was more like 36 hours. It's gotten a little
closer to 24 hr days as he's gotten older but he still cycles around
with some days having lots of morning food and other days lots of
afternoon food and then evening foods another day. By giving him the
freedom to eat when he wants and what he wants, he can eat as his
body needs rather than by the clock on the wall the way us grownups
have been trained - "it's 6 pm, time to eat" whether we really feel
a need for food or not. And, in freeing him to eat as he needs, we
have freed ourselves as well and are eating better and more
consciously.
--Deb
>And sometimes kids aren't on a 24-hr day so grazing is essential.
> Also, grazing is a much healthier way to eat than cleaning your
>plate at each
> sitting. Take it from my strong, lean children who consume food
>all day and
> their chunky parents who eat three square meals.
>
I've known since DS was born (he's 8 now) that he didn't seem to eat
on a 24 hr day. It was more like 36 hours. It's gotten a little
closer to 24 hr days as he's gotten older but he still cycles around
with some days having lots of morning food and other days lots of
afternoon food and then evening foods another day. By giving him the
freedom to eat when he wants and what he wants, he can eat as his
body needs rather than by the clock on the wall the way us grownups
have been trained - "it's 6 pm, time to eat" whether we really feel
a need for food or not. And, in freeing him to eat as he needs, we
have freed ourselves as well and are eating better and more
consciously.
--Deb