i am seeing so many photos of moms feeding their children SUGAR. im sorry, let me back that up... they're feeding their babies sugar! excessive amounts of sugary cereals, sugary meals, sugary desserts... whyyyyyyy? not only is it terrible for their bodies and their brains, it is also horrible for their teeth! seriously, we as adults shouldn't even have it and now you're giving it to a 20 lb. developing baby? i co-coordinate our films with families and bingo nights at our school and i see parents giving babies soda and lollipops every single time! it disgusts me.
starting your child on a diet of lollipops, sugary cereals, ice cream, and donuts not to mention undiluted juices and soda are going to lead to tooth decay, diabetes, weight problems and bad eating habits all the way in to their adulthood. we believe in the healthiest lifestyle possible and i just cringe every time i see a baby who has a sucker in their mouth or donut sprinkles stuck to their lips or a straight up juice box in their hands! i'm such a sugarphob when it comes to the baby that his birthday cake will be sugar free [and vegan!] until he is at least 6. at least.
am i overreacting here? no. maybe in your eyes. and fine; raise your children how you want... i am not going to tell you what to do. but seriously? how can you think sugar is ok for your baby? is it cause you're too lazy to give them fresh foods? is it a quick meal convenience? is it something to get them to 'shut up'? these are serious questions here. im curious to know why that baby has a sucker in their mouth. a treat every now and then is fine for a child but i'm talking about your baby here. let their treat be some fresh fruit or veggies. let their treat be something wholesome for their developing brain and body and teeth. if you keep feeding your babies these sugar-filled things pretty soon you're going to look at your child and go 'what the heck? why are you so fat? why are you so unhealthy? why are your teeth full of cavities?' - oh, i guess i gave him too many lollipops, donuts, and sodas. and i am convinced this is a fact: if you're giving this crap to your baby to get them to behave, be quiet, etc. then you are going to have a spoiled, hyper, brat on your hands anyway and even more-so than when you stuck that sucker in his mouth. so you might as well give him a damn carrot and do something good for his body instead.
*update! a friend of mine left a comment down there in which i replied. her main concern was the negativity in this post. i am not trying to be negative, however i am expressing my concern for the babies whose diet is at risk. she encouraged me to be proactive and to offer education on healthy eating choices. though i am not a nutritionist nor a dietician, i can tell you that even if you are not a part of any of the government aid programs such as calfresh or WIC, they will still offer the education you need to provide your family with the healthiest food options available. and if you are on those food assistance programs, those services are already provided. my friends other concern was the cost of healthy food vs. a donut [or junk food]. her argument is that sometimes a donut costs less than say carrots as a snack. i have to disagree. i do not think that the reason most of these parents are giving their babies suckers as opposed to a carrot stick has to do with their financial situation. i feel that it is part laziness and part 'what they know'. you see our childrens generation is much different than when we were growing up. back in the 70's, 80's, 90's nutrition wasn't a concern. our parents gave us whatever whenever because we didn't have a diabetes problem or grow up in an obese nation. [of course not saying that those weren't issues then, just not made into a big deal as it is today.] our children are growing up where one half of our nation is fighting to keep everything we put on labels a secret and the other half is fighting to make sure we know what we eat. why? because those corporations including the FDA know that was has always been in our products is crap and causes harm to our bodies, but what is in the food also makes it taste so damn good. the ones fighting to know are aware of how harmful those foods can be and know the damage it's causing and want to have every person who picks up a bag of potato chips to be educated on what they're putting in to their bodies. our children are growing up in a nation where fast food restaurants are required to provide healthier options for the kids menu because what they've been feeding us all along is absolute crap. our children are so unhealthy and sadly a lot are so obese that now when i take my healthy, [what should be] average size infant to the doctor, his weight is within the 3rd percentile and my doctor is required to inform me that we need to 'fatten him up' so he isn't so low. why? because those percentages are based off of the millions of babies with suckers hanging out of their mouths excessively.
so, as a concerned parent, i encourage you to seek out healthy options for your children. with my friend mentioning that the cost of the unhealthy snack is much less than the healthy alternative i have to let you know that is not the case. of course, if you want to purchase all organic foods then yes, that can get costly. but whether or not you're on a food assistance program or rich or even in between where you're barely making it, you have to buy food. you have to. i know that most donuts nowadays cost over $1.00. a bag of baby carrots at the grocery store costs about the same. choose the carrots. it's really a no brainer there. if you're having a hard time finding out what would be healthy for your baby or your children, call your local WIC office or ask your child's school about any healthy programs they offer. they will help you. and hopefully you will soon see how absolutely terrible it is to give your baby the donut, the sucker, the undiluted juice or soda. just give them a carrot instead.
While I understand your frustration, your post is very negative and attacking. In the course of my education and experiences in schools, I have learned not to judge very quickly. Most of these parents have either not been properly educated about healthy eating habits, are doing what they know and how they were raised, or can't afford those carrots you wish they would buy their kids. Do you know that often that donut is cheaper than a healthy breakfast? The problem is not always with the parents. This problem is endemic and the solution is not to attack parents. Perhaps you could turn that anger into something helpful? Does the school have a backpack food program to help students and parents with healthy food? Does the PTA hold a healthy eating summit and offer free food to draw in those families with low incomes? Education is the key to this. And use, some people make these choices for their children and know they are bad. However, that is not the case for most parents. In addition, you have very valid points, but not everyone believes in them. Condemning other parents instead of healthy promotion of your ideas just alienates the people you want to reach and help the most. I know your intentions are good and your heart is in the right place, bit I also know you are smart and hard working and you can be part of the solution in a positive way.
ReplyDeleteHi Cami, thanks for your comment! I'm sorry if you feel as though I am being a negative Nancy here, but I am expressing my frustration on how parents think that giving their BABIES excessive amounts of sugar is okay. A mature adult does not need to be educated on how terrible sugar is for your body in excessive amounts; giving it to a baby is no different. Like I had mentioned; a treat here and there is okay. Of course that's not going to give harm to your child or even you, however; there are harsh effects on feeding it to them excessively over time not just with their bodies and teeth, but brains too. To me, it is a sad sight to see and I feel so much for the child who constantly has a sucker hanging out of their mouth. In our area, especially in Brys school, our schools offer healthy eating programs that have healthy eating habit education. I am on the Executive Board of the PTA and am an active participant in our Health & Wellness program. Every month we go out for a special snack day in which fresh fruits or veggies are provided to every student. When I am out there handing out snacks I see the majority of students with sugary filled snacks; rarely do I see anything healthy. I have also had quite a few students come up to get their snacks and say 'I wish my parents would buy these things at home. All they get are chips and junk food. Not to mention in our school district alone, over 80% of the families are on a food assistance program, including WIC, which all offer healthy eating education. Furthermore, those food assistance programs are paying for your food, with the exception of WIC paying for certain things, so buying healthy snacks for baby is not a matter of not being able to afford it. I cannot speak for those other parents, but it seems as though it is an issue of laziness. I was at the grocery store earlier with the kids getting a few things for dinner and carrots was on our list of things to get. I got a bag of baby carrots which are already peeled for $1.29. A donut costs about that, sometimes more. So even if you cannot afford it and are not on a food assistance program, they're basically the same price. Be smart and go for the healthier choice. As parents we want to do right by our children, but that doesnt mean doing right by them at a certain age; it's from the moment of conception. And any OBGYN will educate you on YOUR health during pregnancy... it isn't any different from birth [or starting the babies on solids] so the education begins really when you're pregnant.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry if this post offends you and in no way do I want to attack anyone personally, but I have a right to express my observation and express it. Does it come out a little negative? Sure, sometimes, but it is incredibly frustrating to see parents who LOOK like they don't give a shit about their BABY'S health.