A little random venting
I will apologize ahead of time for the complete randomness and snippy nature of this but my frustrations and annoyances are building so I need an outlet! Please allow me a minute to rant and feel free to join in if you wish...
Why do we reward and bride young kids with junk food? Yes my child gets junk but not regularly and we work to provide healthy options first. We go to a class, parade with friends, talk to parents and this seems to be the norm. If the child: listens, behaves, helps, does well, etc they will get a cookie, candy etc. Or why not just keep feeding your child the bag of candy and they sit better. Seriously we go to a 1 hour class, eat a snack prior to and plan on having lunch afterwards so I see no need to bring a snack for a 2 hour trip. Well my kid is the one who doesn't want to sit because they remaining 6 kids are being supplied with candy, chips, cookies soda the entire time. Sure feed my kid and she sits great too! And then the parents complain about the way the kid eats, I'm sorry but it is your fault, No 2 year old knows about candy without someone else's help! I have to laugh, yesterday after her flu shot O was able to pick out a treat from the store; her choice...Squeazy Applesauce! Yes I get it, advertising is to blame too, but come on parents do your part!
We started dance this summer and I find it very odd that after each class the kids are given a sucker. Not to mention the massive amounts of older dancers eating bags of McDonald's while they wait. Shouldn't we be promoting healthy eating habits to these girls (and boys) especially considering the sport. And next week we are having a Halloween party and need to bring candy for the entire class, wonder if I can piss off a few kids with raisins?! A few weeks ago I sat and listened to a conversation between two dance moms about eating disorders and their theory that 1) eating healthy leads to an EDs and 2) all dancers (and runners) have EDs. The best part was they did their part by eating McDonald's and supplying it for their teen daughters as well (I guess keep supplying unhealthy food and they will be fine!). I was ready to scream and did my best to not explode and educate them.
Why do people fee it is okay to comment on weight when they feel it is thin? I routinely hear comments regarding my weight which I feel is fine, I am at a weight where I run great, feel healthy and look strong. Some comments irritate me, it truly depends on how they are said. I have been told when trying on clothes to go eat a hamburger and fries and maybe the pants would fit better! I'm sorry but if we as a society weren't so much into vanity sizing the pants would fit. How about last week at the doctor: the nurse asks if I have a thyroid problem since I am thin. I think I surprised her when my answer was yes, I am hypothyroid. See it isn't an excuse to gain weight. I have been told if I had more fat I would be cold at times, how about the you must not eat much comments. Boy does this one bring strange looks (and I'm sure speculations) when I they do learn how I eat especially during training season. Why is this okay? How do people know what that person feels about their weight? There have been times when I was underweight due to health issues with malabsorption and did not need people pointing it out to me when they way I felt sucked! I was doing everything I could to gain the weight and feel "normal" again and didn't need others opinions. My question is would these same people feel okay walking up to a stranger who they think is overweight and telling them to eat better, lose weight, etc?
Mother Nature please stop messing with us! Come on I know we have strange fluctuations in our weather but 70F on Tuesday and now 40F and sleet, really can't you just give us some nice comfortable fall weather so I can enjoy a few last running days with shorts and no mittens. Thank you for bringing the cold/numb/painful toes and fingers that I will now have for the next 6 months.
Sorry for the mostly post food and weight related but with my busy schedule and stress it is all building and I need to vent! Anything you want to vent about? Thoughts on these issues...
Why do we reward and bride young kids with junk food? Yes my child gets junk but not regularly and we work to provide healthy options first. We go to a class, parade with friends, talk to parents and this seems to be the norm. If the child: listens, behaves, helps, does well, etc they will get a cookie, candy etc. Or why not just keep feeding your child the bag of candy and they sit better. Seriously we go to a 1 hour class, eat a snack prior to and plan on having lunch afterwards so I see no need to bring a snack for a 2 hour trip. Well my kid is the one who doesn't want to sit because they remaining 6 kids are being supplied with candy, chips, cookies soda the entire time. Sure feed my kid and she sits great too! And then the parents complain about the way the kid eats, I'm sorry but it is your fault, No 2 year old knows about candy without someone else's help! I have to laugh, yesterday after her flu shot O was able to pick out a treat from the store; her choice...Squeazy Applesauce! Yes I get it, advertising is to blame too, but come on parents do your part!
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We started dance this summer and I find it very odd that after each class the kids are given a sucker. Not to mention the massive amounts of older dancers eating bags of McDonald's while they wait. Shouldn't we be promoting healthy eating habits to these girls (and boys) especially considering the sport. And next week we are having a Halloween party and need to bring candy for the entire class, wonder if I can piss off a few kids with raisins?! A few weeks ago I sat and listened to a conversation between two dance moms about eating disorders and their theory that 1) eating healthy leads to an EDs and 2) all dancers (and runners) have EDs. The best part was they did their part by eating McDonald's and supplying it for their teen daughters as well (I guess keep supplying unhealthy food and they will be fine!). I was ready to scream and did my best to not explode and educate them.
Why do people fee it is okay to comment on weight when they feel it is thin? I routinely hear comments regarding my weight which I feel is fine, I am at a weight where I run great, feel healthy and look strong. Some comments irritate me, it truly depends on how they are said. I have been told when trying on clothes to go eat a hamburger and fries and maybe the pants would fit better! I'm sorry but if we as a society weren't so much into vanity sizing the pants would fit. How about last week at the doctor: the nurse asks if I have a thyroid problem since I am thin. I think I surprised her when my answer was yes, I am hypothyroid. See it isn't an excuse to gain weight. I have been told if I had more fat I would be cold at times, how about the you must not eat much comments. Boy does this one bring strange looks (and I'm sure speculations) when I they do learn how I eat especially during training season. Why is this okay? How do people know what that person feels about their weight? There have been times when I was underweight due to health issues with malabsorption and did not need people pointing it out to me when they way I felt sucked! I was doing everything I could to gain the weight and feel "normal" again and didn't need others opinions. My question is would these same people feel okay walking up to a stranger who they think is overweight and telling them to eat better, lose weight, etc?
Mother Nature please stop messing with us! Come on I know we have strange fluctuations in our weather but 70F on Tuesday and now 40F and sleet, really can't you just give us some nice comfortable fall weather so I can enjoy a few last running days with shorts and no mittens. Thank you for bringing the cold/numb/painful toes and fingers that I will now have for the next 6 months.
Sorry for the mostly post food and weight related but with my busy schedule and stress it is all building and I need to vent! Anything you want to vent about? Thoughts on these issues...
Yes! Love it - being fat is not healthy, and why the hell have we made constant eating, lolly rewards and Mcdonalds normal? What happened to a basic understanding of nutrition. Why can't people see that you are your shape and size in part because of how active you are, and that things might be different if you weren't.
ReplyDeleteThe significance of EDs is undermined by the crap you overheard. Oh I hate ignorant people!
Ok, I vented with you. Wow -
Hope the rest of your day makes you smile though - you're pretty great!
I wish it was the norm to see active people as healthy and understand that is not always unhealthy!
DeleteI agree, people DO feel like they can comment on someone's thinness! We need to all hold each other accountable to break this cycle.
ReplyDeleteAnd the kids and junk food rewards? Can't even talk about it, makes me so angry
This is probably the reason I keep my mouth shut all the time on the kid's junk food, I'm sure I'd make someone mad!
DeleteLove this! I hate that kids get bribed with candy all the time! They go to the doctor...and they get a lolly at the end of the visit...WHAT??? Why??? They do good at school...they get candy! Ugh! Thanks for letting me vent with you! ;-)
ReplyDeleteYes, aren't doctors healthy examples?! Why not a sticker or just "good job"?
Deleteoooo, nice vent!! I cannot get over how many parents allow their kids to indulge in mass-media advertised, clearly-bad-for-them foods...i mean seriously, they may be being kind to their kids tastebuds but they are actually showing a disregard for their kids' health!! (of course add to this I'm not a mum but still, i hope I can plan it better like you do when bub appears). personally i wish the GOVERNMENT and their FDA cronies could be held more accountable for our poor health these days but....yeah, that won't happen any time soon. As for the weight thing...Brett is extremely slim but eats by appetite and when he does it is 95% healthy, and he HATES it when people talk about him being from a concentration camp or something - when he honestly would have to eat a house a day to put on weight, and his appetite is not interested. A HUGE part of people saying that stuff to slim people is PURE JEALOUSY just like when kids get picked on at school...apparently some adults never grow out of it - or aren't "aware" of the impact of their words... ooo, yeah, that was a good vent post, thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThere are so many healthy options out there for kids that it is pretty easy if you are healthy. Actually I hate people saying "kid food", my daughter started with food as a baby that I made we quickly moved from single pureed fruits and veggies to pureed meals when she showed boredom with lack of flavor. Her favorites were spiced lentils and bean chili pureed. It is about providing that example and showing our kids how to est, you will do fine :)
DeleteThey gave lollipops at Bella's dance classs last week and I am hoping it was a one-time Halloween thing. If not...ugh. I'll have to decide if I'm brave enough to say something. Why not just stickers!?!?
ReplyDeleteWe keep a pretty jar to put those lollipops & things in and then I get to decide when and if she gets them. Oliver doesn't get any (yet) so at least that makes it simple to say no for him. So far it's working that she hands over treats she gets but MAN it bugs me that they are so ubiquitous - it makes trying to run errands with the kids such a pain (grocery store, bank, liquor store, etc etc.) I would like to start doing an exchange type deal - she can trade 5 lollipops for a toy or something. We'll do the same with Halloween candy - she can keep a very small amount, the rest can be traded for a toy. I've also been trying to talk about how candy doesn't satisfy me as much as sitting down to a good dessert does...we'll see if the message is getting across in time!
No one should comment on anyone's weight (or height or race or whatever) at any time. You never know why someone might be thin or overweight or normal or what have you.
I like the idea of trading for a toy :) I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way, we need to band together and put a fight up against lollipops!
DeleteI guess we're just lucky we're not overweight, lucky our kids eat well, lucky we eat well, lucky lucky lucky! I have come to realize what others think is down to pure luck is in fact the result of discipline and hard graft but who wants to hear that! The harder I work the luckier I seem to get! Love a good rant, keep up the good work ;)
ReplyDeleteRight, we don't take the easy way out or look for the easy answer. Yes we probably had good role models as well but it would be so easy to grab those easy fast food meals but we make decisions not to.
DeleteI don't know how you kept your cool with those dance moms! Are they for real?! Unfortunately, that is probably how many people think. So sad. I was at a family wedding a couple months ago and they had a candy bar. What?! One of my family members kept giving her 4 year old son a box of candy to keep him quiet, it was quite disturbing. How about you just teach him to behave or take him outside?
ReplyDeleteI was complaining to a friend through text or I would have exploded...
DeleteI'm with you on the weather. I've been going back and forth between sweating and freezing this week and I'll be lucky if I don't get sick if this weather keeps going like this.
ReplyDeleteBack to freezing here now and sunny and hot for next week, make up your mind mother nature!
DeleteYes! I have been thinking the same thing lately about toddlers and sweets... it is everywhere! L goes to "school" two mornings a week, and the first month there were several birthdays, and the other moms were buying huge cupcakes from the grocery store, it drove me nuts. Since L never gets that stuff, she ate the whole thing and then hardly ate the rest of the day. This year she is all about candy, and it's not from us... wish we could have protected her longer, but it. is. everywhere. I hear ya!
ReplyDeleteThat happened to O at a friend's for a playdate, she ate cookies, cupcakes, everything and was bouncing off the walls for the rest of the day!
Deletethe candy thing bugs me. two of our doctors give our suckers. maybe they have a deal with the dentists?!
ReplyDeleteI wonder! Why not just stickers, healthy and no teeth issues!
Delete