Thursday, June 19, 2014

Moderation Rant

Do you know what I bought the other day?  Otter Pops.  Full of high fructose corn syrup and all sorts of dyes.  These kids are going to have a summer of popsicles and I am tired of spending $5 on a box of 12 organic-fruit-and-veggie-elitist popsicles that they will run through with their friends in three days.

 

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but sometimes I think we just need to relax.  Stop planning our lives and the lives of our kids down to the last second.  Stop worrying about food and what’s in it.  Stop agonizing over whether or not our kids are reaching milestones (not the medical ones, but the ones all your mom friends talk about, like reading and writing and potty training and talking without a lisp and playing soccer for reals on a team instead of just sucking one’s thumb and watching the other kids) (who does that, I wonder?).  Stop being that extreme family.

 

We talk about eating disorders in older kids, teenagers and young adults, and I wonder if our current national obsession with eating the “right” foods is exacerbating this problem.  We all know a family that is gluten-free but in which no one has celiac disease.  Or other families that limit dairy and sugar to an extreme degree (we limit sugar in that we don’t have treats every day).  When all the choices on the market for food appear to be bad, what are we left with?  It gives me anxiety, so I have called a halt to it, in my own mind.  My kids eat loads of fruits and vegetables (they asked for a smoothie this morning, into which I dumped a carrot, three handfuls of spinach, and wheat germ, in addition to the frozen strawberries and orange juice) and an otherwise balanced diet, so giving them sugary popsicles?  Not something I’m willing to worry about anymore.

 

How can we expect children to sort through all the cultish, faddish, and scientific food information out there if we ourselves can’t do it?  Every day I see people post the most ridiculous, un-researched, un-scientific “facts” on FaceBook and base their lives around these unproven statements.  That’s terrifying.  Not to mention the hyperbole involved (“Sugar is toxic and will kill you” – I actually read that today).  AND, we’re teaching our children that there is a “right” and “wrong” way to eat, which isn’t necessarily true.  Food is not the same as cigarettes or heroin, you know?  It’s not all or nothing, and a LARGE part of food is enjoyment, which includes gooey cheese and melty chocolate and yes, when these boys are older, alcohol.

 

I guess it all comes down to what your goals are.  My goals are to raise well-adjusted children who are productive members of society, who love other people, who aren’t afraid to live, and who live without anxiety, among other things.  It would be very easy to give them anxiety by over-scheduling sports and activities and limiting their diets.  Or even talking about food too much in front of them.  Just as I make a concerted effort to never call myself fat so that their little ears don’t pick that up and internalize it and then spit it back out in judgment of me or someone else, I will not allow them to think that people who drink soda pop are bad people or are making bad choices. (A little girl informed Charles last night that soda is bad and he shouldn’t drink it.) (It was a can of juice, full of just as much sugar.) (My kids get to have root beer and 7Up when we go to pizza because what is pizza without root beer when you’re a kid?) (Also, you know what are delicious?  Root beer floats.) (Treats are an important part of life, you know.)

 

I guess I’m just saying, let’s think about the bigger picture and the ramifications of our actions.  So who’s going to preach moderation with me?

9 comments:

Sarah said...

Preach it, sister! I can't count the number of times I've been compelled to respond to someone's paranoid post about food. There are real evils in this world, I just don't think food is one of them.

Megan and Jeff Vogel said...

We have a case of Otter Pops in the freezer from Costco and I believe that they have apple juice in them too...apples are healthy, right?!?

One of my favorite memories from childhood was the summer my mom was on crutches and laid up in bed after two foot surgeries. My sister and I wolfed down a whole case of Otter Pops and, because we didn't want to get caught, hid the wrappers under the couch. All 100 of them. Needless to say, we got caught and haven't lived down that period of gluttony since!

Amelia said...

Megan, that's hilarious!

Jennifer L. said...

I believe in moderation in everything....everything except flossing. That should be done on an almost obsessively daily (or twice daily) basis. We sort of try to limit unhealthy eating choices at our house, but to balance that out we go out for ice cream at the local A&W at least a few times per week. Veggies every day, ice cream every day.... it all evens out.

Julia said...

Word, sister. Although, in full disclaimer, we have joined the ranks of the (hopefully temporary but possibly long-ish term) gluten free AND dairy free (at least Dash and I). Trying to see if it helps settle his tummy and/or help him sleep. That being said, now that I've ditched both of my primary dietary staples, I can increase consumption of everything else including: wine, sorbet, dark chocolate, hummus, red meat and vegan, gf peanut butter cups. So, there's that. :)

Kelli said...

I consider myself a pretty relaxed parent. I don't send them off to a multitude of activities. Ruary has finally decided he wants swimming lessons, but up until now, I didn't push it because there needs to be buy-in. We often spend the day at home, just running in and out of the house in nothing but underwear (not me, of course... I do not want to scar my neighbors). However, I do become vigilant when it comes to artificial dyes. My boys are cranky bears if they consume food with dye, especially red dye (of which can be used as a pesticide as well as a dye... FUN!). But I know kids that don't react at all to it. So, whatever. You do what you want, because you birthed them. :)

Amelia said...

I'm a daily flosser, but I'll admit to being less than vigilant about it with my kids... Time to step up my game!

Amelia said...

I had to ditch dairy when I was nursing until the boys' systems started producing the enzyme to digest it. It's not that I don't think food sensitivites and allergies don't exist, but rather that they are made out to be far more mainstream than reality. I hope something breaks loose and starts working for Dash!

Amelia said...

There is some weird stuff in food sometimes, and if your boys are truly reacting to it, dye is a pretty easy one to cut out. I suspect there's a bit less of the crazy food nonsense at the beach than there is here. I have gotten some LOOKS when I buy Oreos, 'round here. Could be the size of my butt, though.