I don't claim to feed my kids nutritious well rounded meals every day. I do my best to start their day off right with oatmeal or homemade whole wheat pancakes. I make sure they come home to plenty of fresh fruit & nuts to snack on. I try to put some effort into a healthy dinner they will enjoy. But inevitably ice cream, dinner without veggies and too much candy (thanks to Halloween lasting a whole week nowadays) gets the best of me sometimes.
But guess who did a really great job? My mom.
I will be the first to say there are times my mom drives me absolutely nuts. I will also be the first to say thanks to her I never had an eating disorder. When it comes to the template of how to feed your kids, I have to say she did everything right.
We came into the kitchen every morning to see a big ol' pot on the stove. It was filled with oatmeal or rice. Lunches were packed with sandwiches and tortilla chips. Dinner was meat & potatoes, enchiladas, lasagna or hamburgers.
It was all real food. Bread was baked, cookies were homemade and the milk was whole & bought 6 gallons at a time. We ate as a family and vegetables were always involved. My mom lived half her life at that stove. She loved feeding her family.
Cold cereal didn't come along until I was older, and then it was always unsweetened. When a box of Life was found in the kitchen my little brother Adam was known to hide it so he would have it all to himself.
Processed food rarely made an appearance, but it wasn't off limits, nothing was. My parents loved ice cream and it was usually a weekend treat.
The best thing my mom did was something she DIDN'T do. She didn't talk about losing weight, she didn't put herself down, she never once went on a diet and weight was never ever an issue.
I work out and eat right, and although inside I have a nagging voice telling me I can do better and look better, I will never utter a single sentence out loud in front of my kids about the way I look.
It's one of the best things my mom taught me. And she never even said a word.
When I was trying to lose my the weight after my second child I would make comments about it in front of my oldest daughter. She picked up on these comments and would say that she needed to lose weight. Since that moment I have never once discussed losing weight or my thoughts about my body in front of my children.
ReplyDeleteMarie, this is a wonderful post! The more I read various blogs the scarier I find it that so many girls talk about having had eating disorders. I never had an eating disorder, I was chubby growing up and remained that way until I found Weight Watchers 24 years ago. You paint such a wonderful and smart picture of your Mom. She was smart because she did things the right way and now your children are lucky that they are being raised the same way. Give your Mom a hug from me the next time you see her!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good reminder!!! I am seeing Gooner understanding more and more and she's learning and listening to me!
ReplyDeleteI love this. I can't pretend I don't envy it, but I do love it... And I love that you do that for your family
ReplyDeleteYou're such a great mom. This is something I've never really thought about, so I am glad you posted about it. I am definitely going to make sure I'm cautious about what's said in front of my daughter, especially nowadays where being thin in everything in societies eyes.
ReplyDelete*is everything
ReplyDeleteThis whole post is GREAT! I know I got so many healthy habits from my mom, who (almost) always cooked from scratch and always had us sit together to eat dinner. When we had ice cream or boxed mac and cheese for dinner, it was a treat--but not a GUILTY treat. I still love and appreciate real food, and I know so much of that comes from parents valuing the same. So way to keep that goal in mind! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you will not mention weight/diets/etc. in front of kids, those ideas/insecurities/messages are so easy to pick up on, especially when non-family life is absolutely bombarded with them, getting a break at home would be an amazing resource.
ReplyDeleteI love your post. It really spoke to me at I used to have an eating disorder and I do remember saying "I feel fat" to my husband yesterday in front of my little guy. I even felt convicted about saying it at that very moment. I really want to be that kind of mom who doesn't put herself down in front of her kids. Thank you for sharing about what a difference it has made to you.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have been looking for a great homemade, waffle recipe...do you mind sharing? :)
Your mom sounds exactly like my mom! We're lucky, aren't we?
ReplyDeleteI have always tried to be conscious of saying things in front of my children in relation to body image.
ReplyDeleteCould I stand to lose a few pounds? Yes, but will my kids know? Not if I can help it. I want them to enjoy the healthy food I provide them and to enjoy life and not worry about their appearance.
This is really a wonderful post