So pander to your pampered little princes
One of the stated purposes of making this site ‘anonymous’ was so that I could air thoughts, feelings and neuroses that I may not want Google to permanently attach to my name. I’ve always found writing to be great therapy and blogging extends the therapeutic possibilities by giving the potential for feedback in the form of comments. Problem is that I’m still reluctant to get to far outside of my everything is sunshine/check out this band/Go Dawgs! comfort zone. I’ve written more than one post that never saw the light of day because despite being ‘anonymous’, I’m not really anonymous.
All this is just a long winded preface to say that some of you aren’t going to like this post.
With the arrival of Baby Z, I’ve had a whole new set of neuroses to deal with - what’s my son going to grow into? What will he be like when he’s a teenager, a young adult? What can I do to insure that he has a chance of being a happy, healthy and well adjusted boy, teenager and man? Mostly I’m able to stifle these fears and just get on with the business of being a father - enjoying each day for what it is - but sometimes I find myself completely tangled in knots of confusion regarding some aspect of the boy’s rearing. These little bundles of obsession can keep me up nights, can be sources of heated arguments with Dr. O’C and can result in epic inconsistencies in parenting style on my part.
One of these little tenacious balls of anxiety is childhood obesity. It’s a problem that is reaching epidemic proportions in a lot of the wealthy Western societies. One of the side effects of a half century or so of unabated economic success is an excess of pretty much everything and one of the side effects of that excess is that our children are getting fatter and fatter. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 16% of American children were overweight or obese in 2007, triple the rate in 1980. In Australia, which recently surpassed the USA as the world’s fattest nation (Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!), over 20% of children are overweight or obese. Some experts have predicted that the obesity rate in children could skyrocket to 60% within 30 years. There’s a lot of hand wringing about the causes, but for most people they’re blindingly obvious - our kids eat too much crappy “convenience” food and spend far too much time in front of the television.
I am desperately worried that Z is going to be one of that growing minority - that he’ll be a fat kid. Now, I know that this sounds flippant and not that important in the grand scheme of things. There are far worse things that he could suffer from and, if I’m being honest, a bit of my concern is aesthetic. But, the majority of my worry not around some Hollywood/Madison Avenue dictated body image but health. According to the Mayo Clinic, overweight children are at a significantly higher risk of Type 2 (’Adult’ onset) diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and other respiratory problems, sleep disorders, liver disease, early puberty or menarche, eating disorders, skin infections and many more health problems in childhood. In my experience, they’re also at a much higher risk of being bullied as children. At a certain age, kids stop being cute and start being scary little fascists who pick out the weakest member of a group for vicious teasing and bullying. Any deviation from the “norm” can be used as a target - glasses, red hair, funny clothes, being fat.
Now, I’ve read a fair bit about childhood obesity and I know at an academic level that Zach is an unlikely candidate. Genetics and socioeconomic class are a significant factors in whether a child is obese and Z has no family history and comes from an over-educated middle class family. The major issues, however are diet and exercise, and here’s where things get confusing for your underwhelming narrator. I really don’t know how much the boy is meant to eat. I’m averse to reading parenting books because I think that each one will give you a different opinion leading you to confusion, frustration and a tendency to buy more parenting books to clarify things. But, I did break down and consult the one book that we have in the household. It says that a boy of Z’s age should eat three healthy meals a day topped up with formula or breast milk with a minimum of snacking throughout the day.
I don’t want to be one of those Nazi parents that doesn’t let their child touch sugar or other junk food. I’m a pragmatist, I know that the boy’s probably going to have a Happy Meal now and again. Already, things are creeping into his diet that aren’t great - sugary soda, pancakes, french fries, tea and coffee - some of which I’ve given him myself. He gets good meals and hell, a little won’t hurt him, right?
But that snacking thing, that’s a horse of a different color. Sometimes I think that Z looks to the dog for behavioral cues as much (or more than) he looks to people. Our dog can hear food being prepared from miles away and as soon as he gets the scent of people food, he’s under foot just praying for a bit of food to fall on the floor. Since Z’s started crawling, as soon as someone in the house gets something to eat, there’s a race between dog and boy to see who can get the prime begging position. This was cute for a while and it’s hard to deny the boy a bit of whatever it is you’re eating. A little bit won’t hurt him, right? As with the inappropriate foods, I’m guilty here too - sometimes it’s easier to give both kid and dog a bit of what your eating. Sometimes it’s too cute - when Z gets his little fingers working - to resist.
However, with three adults in the same house working different hours and keeping different schedules, meal times can get muddied. Z has his dinner between 5 and 5:30. Myself, his Mum and his Nana eat at varying times between 6 and 7. Z goes to bed, with a bottle around 7 or 7:30. What this means is that between his dinner and bedtime he could be snacking pretty much constantly. I really fear that we’re setting up a bad precedent and one that is going to be increasingly difficult to break. Is this how these things get started? Are there habits that get established now that are impossible to break later in life? I don’t know.
Whenever I give voice to my concerns, particularly around Z’s female relatives, I get barracked with derisive statements like, “Jesus Christ, the child’s only X months old!” But at some point, the child’s going to be 5 years old or 10 years old or 15 years old or 35 years old, at what point do you have to start thinking about these things. At what age is it no longer cute? At what age does it start becoming dangerous? If not now, when? I’ve tried to establish a regular dinner time, where everyone sits at the table at once, an idea which has been met with a notable lack of enthusiasm.
So now, I stay quiet and stew and fret. And now, blog. I don’t know if I’m being neurotic and obsessive. I don’t know if I’m being silly. But I see these kids every day, these kids that are far too young to be as fat as they are. I see their parents and I wonder, did they know what they were doing or did they say, “Oh, a little bit won’t hurt, he’s only X years old.” And did they keep saying that and keep saying that and one day Augustus Gloop came home from school in place of their little baby? I don’t know. Do you?
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For clarity AFM’s middle name is DRAMA QUEEN, or should I mention, oblivious drama queen. I try to explain to him (prior to this week when I started work), that he was not just getting food whenever he wanted. He wasn’t getting snacks at every whim. I mean the kid is 11 months old, and although i think he is going to be a genius he isn’t quite talking yet and asking for a big mac, fries and a coke. I will also point out that AFM was the first to give him fries and a sip of his coke or ginger beer and a taste of his ice-cream (ignoring the fact that he is dairy intolerant!).
Yeah the kid has a tummy, but it doesn’t exactly drag on the floor when he is crawling around. Yeah, he begs like a jackal when we have food, but what is wrong with giving him a taste of different things. And ok, it was a little embarrassing when he crawled over to the kid eating KFC at the doctors surgery the other night, but he isn’t eating from when he wakes to when he sleeps. My theory about childhood obesity, is that parents are too lazy to get on a bike with their kids, go to the park, walk on the beach. Part of the reason for the move to Oz was so we would have an outdoor lifestyle which would encourage us to get out and about on weekends.
With AFM’s attitude the child is going to end up with an eating disorder and I don’t say that lightly.
He is the food nazi, but the first to break his own loudly proclaimed ‘rule’ on weekends when we are all home.
Ok, enough of a rant. I almost made this into a rebuttal post. Maybe that is how I could continue to write on this website. Have AFM go on a ridiculous rant and then I would write a post outlining the reasons for his ridiculousness! Now I have to go smack him upside the head.
14 Aug 2008 at 9:01 pm
Since you don’t read the baby books, I’ll just tell you what I know:
There is absolutely no correlation between a baby’s weight and how much they eat. My oldest daughter ate nothing. I was convinced babies lived on air. We introduced solid food at 6 months, but at most she ate a couple teaspoons a day. She was always a healthy weight and height, and did everything early except talk, other than the word No which she used to refuse food of all kinds.
Daughter Number Two, on the other hand, began crying at age three months every night, and it wasn’t until a pediatrician suggested trying rice cereal that it dawned on me she might be hungry.
She ate like a pig for the next 15 years of her life, and was always a skinny, gangly girl. Only in her last year or two in high school did she “fill out” but is in no way fat.
I don’t buy soft drinks, but I don’t have a cow if they drink them. We’ve always had tons of sweets available, though (my fault entirely). They eat what they want, and pretty much always have.
They are both a very healthy weight.
So stop worrying.
KathyFs last blog post..Bridges and Bullets
14 Aug 2008 at 9:21 pm
If he’s spending the day eating potato chips and Slim Jims, you’re may be setting yourself up for a problem on down the road. I doubt that’s the case, though. You’re probably OK.
Nicholes last blog post..Eating our veggies
14 Aug 2008 at 10:14 pm
Yes. Exercise his little butt off! The problem with genius kids* is that they park their buttinskis in front of a computer screen or library book. I know I certainly did, and my magnificent adult waistline is a result.
Kids love to dance, run, swing, spin, whatever. And that’s as much of a sensory reward as eating. The sheer joy and fun of physical activity was something I only discovered in my young adulthood–my parents discouraged it, because all this physical activity was noisy, vulgar, uninhibited, and might require their participation.
What AFM can do, is make every one of Z’s music lessons into a dance lesson as well. Whaddaya think?
Do they have infant rugby in the Valley? Z looks like a real bruiser, already.
HB8.
*For the moment, let’s assume–not unreasonably, Dr. O’C–that you are correct.
**Oh, and keep rebutting, Dr. O’C. It suits you.
headbang8s last blog post..Haircut Unimportant.
14 Aug 2008 at 10:15 pm
The thing that’s worked for us has been changing the eating habits and activity levels of the parents in the house. In the past 4 years, Heather and I eat much less fast food and refined sugar. I’m not saying I won’t have McNuggets or ice cream now and again, but were better about eating a fairly balanced, proportioned meal in front of our little munchkin. Getting outside for walks, etc. as a group on a semi-regular basis seems to help get the little one outside and playing instead of watching TV. Although she’ll probably end up watching alot of college football w/ me this fall
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14 Aug 2008 at 11:42 pm
most small children will eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full. the best thing to do is to encourage that mind/body connection so that they wait to eat until they are hungry and actually feel it when they’re full. they’re very good at it when left alone. the battles ensue when parents force their children to eat everything they’ve got on their plate or to eat “x” amount of whatever. that sets up a control issue that can get ugly as they get older. that’s what you don’t want.
moderation, moderation, moderation. that’s the key. don’t supply them with junk but don’t deny it completely either. you can have some rules–like no dessert before the meal–but you really need to pick your battles. if you keep the crap out of the house then you’ve got most of them won before they begin.
movement is key, too. like headbang says, it’s the kids who plop down in front of the computer and tv for hours and stop being physical who develop the most weight problems.
now is a good time to think about this stuff, though, because you are still in nearly complete control over what he eats and how much he “exercises.” it gets harder the older and more opinionated they get! but the goal is that they’ll eventually learn good habits and be able to make healthy choices on their own.
all this talk makes me want to go take a bike ride and then eat a huge omelet or something!
mjrcs last blog post..Sign of the Times
14 Aug 2008 at 11:48 pm
Ok, this is an issue of big interest to me. It took me years to untangle and correct the poor eating habits I was reared with, sugar, snacking, food as comfort, entertainment, etc.
I have read a lot on the subject, scientific and anecdotal and I have three kids who are great healthy eaters all well within the range of healthy weight. My husband and I both carry about 15 extra pounds on us but have very low cholesterol , an active lifestyle and no health problems. The basic rules in our house are these, and we operate on the 80/20 principle, we do the right thing 80% of the time allowing for the 20%(usually Grandma’s).
1. We always eat dinner together at the table, no tv. I grew up eating in front of the tv or with a book and this set up a lot of unconscious eating. You know, you turn on the tv and suddenly you want something in your mouth. Our kids stop eating when they are no longer hungry because they want to go play or read, if they had a tv in front of them, I could guarentee they’d eat more(Dr. Mehmet Oz did a study proving this).
2.All eating with the exception of popcorn on movie night, is eaten in the kitchen at the table. No eating the the computer, tv,living room etc.
3.We do fast food no more than once per week. Our kids see it as a treat.
4.no soda, no juice, empty calories and bad for the choppers. baby occasioanlly gets diluted prune juice if she’s constipated. Even no sugar added juice is high in sugar.
5. Our pediatrician recommended we start babies with veggies after cereal because in her words, if you start with sweet they don’t do as well with the veggies. Bebe gets a bit of people food and yes, I haven’t been immune to giving her tastes of things like icecream but again 80/20.
6.Our big kids go to bed significantly earlier than most of their peers. Studies have shown that well rested adults and children regulate their appetites better, plus it gives hubs and I grown up time. I also think our kids perorm well in school in part because they are rested and ready to go.
7.We (meaning me) don’t take special requests in the kitchen, we all eat what I make. Another Mehmet Oz study concluded that kids have to be exposed to a new food 10+ times before they like it(probably a survival thing, the less likely you are to eat unfamiliar things the less chance of ingesting something toxic). My big kids initially resisted avocado, beets, and more, mostly veggies and we gave them very small amounts of unfamiliar food but told them they had to eat what they were given. I’d tell them if you try it a few times and you then decide you don’t like it, I will not serve it to you. There’s almost nothing the kids won’t eat and that makes my life easier and easier to fit healthy choices in our diets.
8. Virtually no between meal snacking except for free access to a bowl of fruit, they probably get 2 pieces each through the day(help get all the servings in) of course the baby eats on demand for the moment.
9.Almost(again that word) chips, snacky dorito type food, candy…I think the kids will have plenty of this later, while I still can, I’d like to help steer them in the right direction. I think the inclusion of these kinds of food makes good real food not seem as good. I want them to eat the good stuff while they are developing their tastes. We do have dessert about 1/2 the evenings, sometimes it’s fruit and yogurt, sometimes chocolate, icecream.
10.80% of our meals originate from home, this is a hard one for most people. I’m home a lot during the week so I cook but it does help you know what you’re really eating.
Can you tell I’m the food nazi? But we’re seemless with the kids, they don’t think they are being denied, it’s just how they are used to eating. We also talk to them a lot. Every couple of months, my hubs will go get donuts for special breakfast and we tell the kids when they ask why can’t we have these everymorning that donuts taste good but they don’t give us what we need so if we ate them all the time we would’nt have room left for the stuff that helps our bodies grow-they seem to get this.
15 Aug 2008 at 1:10 am
OK, you know this one concerns me too, cause we’ve talked about it before. Grant used to wake up from a nap if anyone walked into the kitchen!
So here’s the thing. Grazing is actually a good thing. If you are making sure he’s eating fruits, whole grains, and as he gets older, protein, he’ll be okay. Grazing through the day keeps metabolism going, and if they are eating healthy foods, will not make them fat. My boys eat things like organic yogurt with almonds mixed in, or berries and string cheese, things like that. They also only get one non-milk, non-water drink a day (and NEVER SODA!) I do not consider myself a food nazi, because I explain to them in ways they can understand, why we don’t feed them certain things. (This has sugars that can make you sick as you get older, This one has fats that can hurt your heart.)
Also, stick with the family mealtime idea. There is research that shows that children in families that gather once a day to eat around the table are not only less likely to be obese, they have far greater chances of succeeding in school. I can’t find the link (I tried), but we learned this in a parenting class when Grayson was a baby. Sitting in that quiet, calm environment is how we have learned a lot about Grayson’s school life and such. Things come up that wouldn’t otherwise. Also, seeing his dad eat healthy things helps him want to do it. We had a victory ourselves last night. I made a Greek Salad for dinner, and both boys ate every veggie in it. A normality for Grant, but a huge improvement for Grayson.
So you are right to be concerned, but you are a smart enough guy to figure this out. Of course kids should be allowed to have occasional junk food, otherwise they will fixate on it. It just shouldn’t be the norm, that’s all.
Jessica Ks last blog post..Dramatic Flair
15 Aug 2008 at 1:35 am
This isn’t it exactly, but it’s close. http://www.mealsmatter.org/EatingForHealth/Topics/article.aspx?articleId=4
15 Aug 2008 at 1:40 am
My kids used to do more healthful grazing but I curbed a lot of it when I realized on the days they snacked less, they ate better at meals. The hungrier they are when they sit down for dinner(especially my four year old) the less likely they complain about what they are eating.
I really like the stuff I’ve seen from Dr. Oz, he talks a lot about children’s natural eating tendencies and how to work with that to develop lifelong healthful habits.
15 Aug 2008 at 2:01 am
AFM, listen to your good Dr. O’C on this one. We just got back from a trip to Yellowstone with two other families, all with young children. One family drove us all nuts with all their rules about eating - I am sure their kid will have a massive complex about food, which I think is more dangerous at that age than weight gain. Yeah, by age 4 or 5, you might need to be a bit more vigilant, but in spite of all the diet industry garbage about the mysteries of weight/gain loss, it is really quite simple (as anyone who has traveled in the developing world knows): Americans (and apparently Aussies, ha-ha) are fat because they are lazy, drive everywhere, and eat crap foods and lots of it. I am sure baby Z. will be fine if for no other reason than having to outrun those kangaroos who were trying to eat him in the last post’s pictures.
Oh, and his weight now means nothing. I was nick-named Butterball as a baby.
And yes, you do get teased a lot for having red hair as a kid. I felt avenged after reading Tom Robbins’ Still Life with Woodpecker.
15 Aug 2008 at 3:10 am
OOH, you’ve got a lot of info to digest (no pun intended) here, so I’ll try to be brief. Some of the commenters are a little over the top, but their hearts are in the right place. I agree with the person who said “MODERATION” and NO SODA!!! That, whole grains instead of white flour and a good dose of daily activity and you’re all set.
I worry about America’s Next Top Toddler as well, because she’s very cerebral and prefers pretend play to being active. She was actually diagnosed with low muscle tone in her arms and legs, so we’re having to force her to be active on a daily basis… and girlfriend LOVES to eat! Luckily, she’s been given pretty much only healthy foods her whole life (almost three), but she discovered popsicles (nasty health store fruit juice ones) and thinks she should get one for breakfast once in a while (read: every day), but we tell her no.
There are so many more choices (of crap) available to kids now than when we were kids, don’t you think? I just pray that both girls got the skinny gene (hubs) and not the have-to-watch-what-I-eat-my-whole-life-and-workoutlikeadog-just-to-be-fit gene (moi). As far as keeping it short, I lied.
Remember, ixnay on the odasay.
Toastys last blog post..Is it Wrong for a Stay-at-home Parent to Imbibe During Naptime? and other pertinent questions…
15 Aug 2008 at 4:43 am
Honey, honey, sweetie-pie. Don’t fret or worry. He’s “begging” for food because you’re eating and he wants to do whatever it is you’re doing and be with you.
Just feed him nutritious food, lots of fruits and veggies, milk, water, or watered-down fruit juice, and cut out the sugary snacks (only for special occasions) and Baby Z will be just fine. I promise you.
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15 Aug 2008 at 5:23 am
I am not a parent so I’m really not an authority on this subject, but as an observant human being I can say with certainty that you are not obsessing without reason. Obesity is a real problem and it starts with some parents’ inability to say no. Sure, some kids are overweight because of genetics, but I feel confident in saying that most of the time, kids get fat because their parents would rather give them what they want rather than listen to whining.
I’ve also heard speculation that the rising childhood obesity rate is due in part to the fact that both parents work more often now than they did in the past. I don’t think that’s true; even if both parents work, if they’re responsible they’ll make sure their kids eat healthy meals. Seeing as how you think about this now, when Z is so young, makes me think you and Dr. O’C will keep an eye on his eating starting NOW, which sets a good precedent for the rest of his life.
Can you call it obsessive when it’s a valid concern? I don’t think so.
15 Aug 2008 at 5:31 am
For us food is a big problem. Clizia could live on sweets, and then of course isn’t hungry when real food is served. My solution is to give her a small limited amount of sweets per day (and my first offer is always dark chocolate), and generally I will let her go hungry b/c at that point she will accept some food I will allow (which is everything except processed calorie-rich stuff, which we don’t tend to have at home anyway). But noone else in the family is willing to do that, so I have to fight a lot, which is no fun. And kind strangers just love giving kids sweets, putting you into a rude- vs. good-parent dilemma. In our personal experience, parental “blindness” re: our own’s kid’s weight was total. Clizia was a *really* chubby baby (waaaay chubbier than Zach) and we had NO idea. She exclusively nursed for 10 months and we were so worried about her not eating solids, we’d put her in front of “Aristocats” and give her ice cream!??! We’ve definitely become more realistic since, but it’s been a lesson. Oh, and kids really do thin out lots when they start walking. And then they go through this pattern when they first round out and then they grow up. So you don’t have to start worrying quite yet (but soon!
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15 Aug 2008 at 8:05 am
Kathy - Thanks, very common sense. Up until a few years ago, I was always able to eat what I wanted and didn’t gain weight. Since we’ve moved here, however, our lifestyle has become much more sedentary (kind of counter intuitive as Oz apparently has a better climate) so I’ve just put myself on a no ice cream diet.
Headbang - good advices, I like the dancing idea, will work on that one. Dr. O’C is all about the re-butting.
Nathan - if you can cut down on the McNuggets, so can I! The refined sugar thing is something to be careful about as food labelling is not as good in Oz as in the U.S. and U.K. - maybe that correlates with their increasing waistlines.
MJRC - I believed that as well, that he would stop eating when he’s hungry, but what he tends to do now is not eat his own food in preference for ours. That will be OK the more he starts to eat the same thing as we do, but now is a bit sketchy.
Chris - wow, a 10 point plan! You make a lot of sense, and all of those are things that I hope to try and incorporate. Particularly the table thing, that’s what I’m going to dig my heels in on. The problem is now, that with out current housing situation that 80/20 is necessarily skewed. That’s going to change after I go back to one job in December, but the reason I’m obsessing and panicking now is that I fear we’re getting into really bad habits that will be hard to get out of. I don’t mind being a bit of a nazi, that’s part of parenting - benevolent fascism.
Jess - I’m not sure that I’m on the grazing program. I agree that if they’re grazing on healthy stuff, that it’s probably OK. But Zach grazes on cookies, pancakes, chocolate or whatever else we’re eating. Maybe that’s got to be part of the plan - we have to eat healthier as well. Or at least until Zach goes to bed.
Jamie - I know, I know. I’ve seen those control freak parents as well and I don’t want to be one of them. I think I probably need to just stop thinking about this because I’m getting a bit obsessive.
On Aussie radio I heard the term “Ranga” for red-heads, derived from Orangatan, presumably. Dr. O’C didn’t get it, but I thought I’d try it on you, ranga.
Of course, the Australians are the fattest people on earth, so they should be careful about the slurs they throw around.
Toasty - I think you hit on the problem - the food that we are faced with today is crap. So, yes, Z’s older female relatives mock me, but what they fail to realize is that the cookie they fed their children, which they made in their kitchen from fresh ingredients (or even bought at the shop) is not the same cookie that they buy at the grocery store today. It is full of preservatives and has twice the sugar. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to not want an 11 month old baby to have that kind of shit.
Here I am obsessed again.
CMGD - One of the reasons that I miss The South is that nobody calls me honey, sweetie-pie or sugar anymore.
Courtney - I have to stop thinking about this and get the F to work. But, you’re right, as am I.
I think the take home message from all of your comments is that I’m right and Dr. O’C is wrong. Thanks.
15 Aug 2008 at 8:24 am
Vera - I don’t actually think Z is fat. I never said that he was in the post. I think he’s a chubby little boy, but they all are at this age. I’m worried about the habits that he’s getting into and worried about the fact that, like you, I’m the only person worried about it. Kids are hedonists and they’ll do what they like unless someone stops them. That’s the job of being a parent. Again, benevolent fascism. When I had Z home sick earlier this week, I made the decision that he’s more of a little boy than a baby now and he’s old enough to not get EVERYthing he wants anymore.
OK, REALLY have to stop obsessing and get some work done now.
15 Aug 2008 at 8:29 am
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15 Aug 2008 at 10:30 am
We have a similar issue here except that our dd was so lightweight that we have needed to pack every ounce of protein and healthy fat into her as possible. Now that she is eating more regularly, we haven’t had to worry as much. I am also all about moderation. If you NEVER let them have a cookie, that is all they are going to want. And when that rebellion stage hits, ugh.
And you may not think that Z is getting all that much exercise right now, but think about the PROPORTIONS of everything. The edge of his sofa is at his chin? His chest? Can you imagine if every time you wanted to sit on the couch you had to climb it like that? Imagine living in a house that was scaled to you the way your furniture is scaled to Z. He is getting plenty of activity to counter the pancakes, etc.
This is something that you just have to deal with on a monthly basis. You are going to see him get chubbier in the face and belly–then suddenly his shoes won’t fit and his shirts will be too short. It’s how they grow. Stockpile, then growth spurt. As long as he is on a healthy curve with no spikes in either direction, he will be just fine.
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15 Aug 2008 at 11:10 am
AFM you are crazy and obsessed. Firstly, the kid is not on a steady diet of pancakes, biscuits etc. We bought the pancakes last week, because he was sick and having issues eating anything. Surely, he is allowed or encouraged to eat, or is that not allowed at all.
My biggest problem with your rant is that you are a hypocrite. You weren’t there during the week to see what he was being fed, except between the hours of 6:30pm and 7:10pm and yet you presume to know what he has been eating. In addition, some of the biscuits that we have been giving him are mostly because he teeth (or lack there of are driving him nuts), I also gave him apples, pears, rockmelon, watermelon to chew on as well.
15 Aug 2008 at 12:17 pm
Oh and you are the one who feeds him crap some of the times on weekends as well.
15 Aug 2008 at 12:27 pm
“Z do you want a piece of Papa’s cheese scone? Come over here and sit next to papa and I will give you some of my cheese scone”
15 Aug 2008 at 12:28 pm
See what I mean about heated arguments?
Dr. O’C’s in love with a crazy/obsessed hypocrite. Who’s crazy now?
15 Aug 2008 at 1:31 pm
I know what you are saying. I’ve raised three kids trying to keep them eating healthily while allowing them to enjoy ‘fun’ foods. It’s about activity, and with schools eliminating more gym and after school sports in favor of computer classes, it becomes harder.
Thanks for you comments on underage Chinese gymnasts. I’ll see if I can write something about George Clooney and the 5 stages of cellular division.
Trooper Thorns last blog post..Olympic Outfit Reveiw: Part 1
15 Aug 2008 at 4:12 pm
Sorry, didn’t mean to even imply Zach was fat. He has rounded cheeks (which is all I can see from the pictures), which all the babies have, and I must have automatically concluded you thought he was chubby, as why else would you worry over his diet? I mean did you read what Michael Phelps eats? If Zach burns what he eats, my hunch is you are all fine (I doubt someone of your education would give him a bad diet). And I agree w/ Dr O’C, it’s important to know what the kid has been eating the entire day, so that you know whether that not-healthiest-piece-of-food is in fact just fine, or too much (though a second 3-scoop ice cream regardless of other food is too much). In fact, they say in the US that it’s important that a kid eats a balanced diet over the entire week, not to sweat each day in terms of individual foods. I think you guys are entering that unpleasant phase where Zach can’t have everything he wants, but he can’t understand why. And unfortunately that phase lasts for quite a while. And kids are born with an uncanny ability to find the person with least will power…
15 Aug 2008 at 4:36 pm
Don’t worry, Vera, I’m just stirring up trouble. I’ve, on occasion, been described as a shit stirrer.
When Dr. O’C and I were courting, we used to play this game to see who could say something that would get a ‘reaction’ out of the other - the more hysterical the reaction the more points the inciter would receive. Based on the vehemence of her rebuttals, I’d say I’m pretty well skunking her here.
15 Aug 2008 at 8:59 pm
I thought that being a parent gave you free license to be a hypocrite?
15 Aug 2008 at 10:38 pm
haha! I think this is the first time I’ve witnessed a parental argument channeled through a blog.
The “dialog” is good between you two. You’re thinking which is lot better than what the majority of parents of obese children do.
It isn’t rocket science. You are the mirror for Baby Z, not just the pup. The more you guys eat lots of variety and the more active you are, so better is the chance that he will too.
p.s. I don’t think you are a food Nazi, AFM (though, since I’ve lived in Germany this phrase has lost it’s appeal for humorous exaggeration). And even if you fall short of your food rules, that may be one way to introduce Z to the folly of man, but certainly not toward a downward spiral into tubby-dom.
15 Aug 2008 at 11:33 pm
It’s great fun to see you two bickering here. I miss that.
16 Aug 2008 at 12:45 am
its all a bit of common sense and you and sinead have plenty ……..dont obsess……..
16 Aug 2008 at 1:44 am
“Who’s crazy now?” I feel like I’m listening to myself and my husband. You guys seriously gave me a good laugh this morning and I needed it.
Chriss last blog post..The Accidental Brazilian
16 Aug 2008 at 2:07 am
man I love cheese scones.
also kids can sense your worrying, tis true, so best to relax but feed them healthy and lead by example in my opinion. so eat healthy and make it no big deal, dont worry and they wont worry and will see eating healthy as a normal thing. thats my opinion from working with Kids/ parents/ mental cases/ you
18 Aug 2008 at 9:11 pm
The things I miss most about Britain are:
1. M & S cheese scones
2. Thornton’s toffee cake
3. Maynard’s Wine Gums
18 Aug 2008 at 10:02 pm
I think when you obsess over something, you increase your chances of attracting it. And I don’t mean that in some bullshit Oprah way, I just mean that if you model healthy behaviors and you try not to freak out too much one way or the other, your kid will be just fine. Except for all of the other ways you’ll inevitably fuck him up.
Glad I could help.
maggie, dammits last blog post..Home, where my love lies waiting silently for me.
19 Aug 2008 at 8:45 am
My son is only 7 weeks old and I’m already worrying about the same thing. I keep making jokes (aren’t most truths told as jokes?) about the fact that our baby Ty has moobs right now, and he’s on a 100% breastmilk diet.
Glad I’m not the only one freaking out here.
Joes last blog post..This feels strange
19 Aug 2008 at 10:33 am
This is completely unrelated, but just read DrO’C’s comment about Z’s teeth. Have you seen those things designed to give baby’s fresh foods before they have teeth? http://www.babyant.com/bh037086.html I used to give my boys a piece of ice in one of those, and they could gnaw on it and get relief from the teething pain. It dripped water everywhere, but it was worth it to see them stop hurting!
Jessica Ks last blog post..At Your Service
20 Aug 2008 at 12:08 am
Ah food, yet another way in which parents can feel like failures before they’ve even begun… After being ridiculed for making Ray’s cereal with veggies (who doesn’t like beets and oats, broccoli and rice?), I’ve given up some of my food Nazi-ness. And while I gasp at pictures of my C feeding R ice cream, he muffles comments when I give R bits of fries. It’s a two way street, we each have equal opportunity to screw with the kid. It took a lot for me to allow the three B-day cakes (3 different days at least) and it turned out R much preferred the fruit and yogurt to cake every time. What will Z get for his B-day?
20 Aug 2008 at 4:10 am