No Fight at MY Fridge


I’m not going to lie, this family, sometimes, has (!gasp!) fast food for dinner. We allow our children to have pop (you crazy people call it soda) while at a theme park and occasionally at home or elsewhere if the situation warrants – we love pop for belly aches, or to wake up sleepy kids who were up late gaming (another no-no) because they like the flavor or because Mom or Dad has one sitting on the table and they want a sip of something. We even, now sit down when I tell you this, feed our children junk food, sugary cereal, sports drinks filled with sugar! I could go on and on and on. Fingers would be pointed. You’re already judging me… I know you are. Here’s the thing – we don’t care. The kids are healthy, happy, and know these are treats. Heck, sometimes even their pediatrician says to give them some of these things because my kids are skinny and could use a little extra. IMG_6531.JPG Yes, I realize I’m lucky. Obesity is not a problem for my kids’, but I attribute this not just to their good metabolism, but to our reasonable food and drink expectations. Sometimes it’s really ok to say ‘Yes.’ Just like the First Lady will tell you she allows cake and candy, she pushes veggies and water. For the most part – 75% of the time – our kids eat and drink appropriately and within the guidelines you see coming from most doctors and officials. However, that other 25% we are just fine with junk food night. Just fine with those drinks, so long as it doesn’t mess up bedtime. If you say ‘No’ to all of it, they are going to see it as some taboo, rebellious act simply to eat what is advertised. No one wants that. Kids absolutely love to do all the things we as parents want them NOT to do. I’m certainly not going to make food and drink a battlefield when there are so many more important wars to be fought from drugs to sex to education. You want a Friday night of nothing but licorice, soda, & lollipops… with a side of pizza, burgers, and fries? No problem. We’ll even make a celebration of it because it can be so much fun. The next day they are back to drinking water and eating all of their broccoli with the fish Dad grilled. Kids in pjs Food and drink have become political due to the very serious problems we have as a nation finding balance and moderation. As a Mom, I hope I’m sticking that balance early and with some silly fun… because sometimes it really is only food and drink and it really only is silly fun, not a war to be won.

How do you keep your kids healthy yet not make this issue a fight at the fridge? I’d love to hear you tips and tricks… Leave a comment below and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

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Comments

  1. ANGEL JACKLYN says:

    KEEP THE FRIDGE STOCKED WITH HEALTHY FOOD- THEN IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW MUCH THEY EAT, BECAUSE IT’S ALL HEALTHY ANYWAY! =)

  2. ANGEL JACKLYN says:
  3. amy pugmire says:

    I don’t buy the crappy food period that way there is no option for them.

  4. amy pugmire says:
  5. erica best says:

    we drink alot water

  6. erica best says:
  7. erica best says:
  8. maria cantu says:

    I keep cut up fruits and vegetables for easy healthy snacks.

  9. Basketball was our main sport in grade school years. Sprinkled with tennis, hiking, biking. I have to confess that as parents we watched too much TV, but our kids luckily didn’t follow our example. Our kids grew up before the smartphone era, but we refused to have Gameboys, X-Box, etc. They still do not have urge to be gamers. Our diet consisted of too much sugar and grain starches, but I was less informed then than now. Issues of activity, electronics, and diet for my grandkids now are addressed by limiting time with electronics and amount of sugary.starch foods, while encouraging more activity with playtime, and more vegetables and meats.
    Balance, not banish

  10. Lisa Brown says:

    we eat well and try to stay active as a family; i keep good for in the house and try to encourage good eating habits

  11. Lisa Brown says:
  12. Julie Wood says:

    I keep my family balanced by making sure to eat a healthy diet by cooking healthy meals every day! We also get plenty of exercise and play time to relax! It is so important to me to make sure that my family stays healthy by having structure and keeping a schedule!

    jewelwood55(at)gmail(dot)com

  13. Julie Wood says:
  14. Sonya Morris says:

    I try not to bring a lot of unhealthy foods in our house that way no one overindulges on them. I would eat sugar all day long if it were in the house and so would my kids!

  15. Sonya Morris says:
  16. I just make sure that our meals are healthy and mostly homemade. There are always healthy choices in the house for a snack. Sometimes there is junk food too. I find that my kids really like lots of healthy foods and when offered the good stuff, sometimes choose it over the junk!

  17. I always encourage healthy snacks. And our kids are also involved in a lot of sports.

  18. Julie Murphy says:

    I let my kids have soda occasionally.

  19. Everyone comes home on Sunday for a together dinner.

    gmissycat at yahoo dot com

  20. Our daughter is still young and a bit picky, but our rule is you have to taste everything on your plate – even if you don’t eat it all. She’s recently discovered she likes sweet potatoes as a result.

  21. no soda in the house

  22. Elisabeth Ashley says:

    Making healthy food into fun shapes makes eating more fun for the kids.

  23. Elisabeth Ashley says:
  24. Elisabeth Ashley says:
  25. I don’t have kids, but both me and my hubby can be very immature when it comes to food. LOL It is a constant struggle to get both of us to eat healthy. We buy good food but crave the bad. We have found that buying our groceries 2 weeks at a time helps. When there is plenty at home that we WANT to eat, we are less likely to eat out.

  26. Amanda Sakovitz says:

    I put veggies in every meal I do. I try to put a lot of seasoning in them.

  27. Amanda Sakovitz says:
  28. we eat healthy meals and try to exercise regularly as a routine

  29. Aurelie Red says:

    We make homemade meals, drink water and no sodas, try to stay active, and eat all our meals together !

  30. Aurelie Red says:
  31. Thomas Murphy says:

    I say they can have one small dessert if they eat healthy all day.

  32. Thomas Murphy says:
  33. steve weber says:

    No food after 8pm.

  34. Tabathia B says:

    I try to make sure to add vegetables to every meal and that we eat dinner together as a family nightly with no electronics

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  35. Tabathia B says:

    tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/547893204817702912

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  36. Ellie Wright says:

    My boys love fruit so I keep baggies of sliced fruits, grapes, etc…in the fridge for quick and healthy snacking.

    eswright18 at gmail dot com

  37. Ellie Wright says:
  38. I hide lots of veggies inside casseroles — they never know the difference!

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