Our primary concern as mothers is naturally our children’s well-being. Isn’t it funny how we all interpret that slightly differently, though? I have one friend who understands her kids’ welfare as requiring that she spend as much time as humanly possible by their side. Another pushes her kids to master countless extracurriculars to give them an “edge.” A third whose central issue is that her kids treat others with kindness, and who seeks out charity projects far and wide. We all have our shtick, and usually it’s informed by perceived gaps in our own upbringing. I know mine is.
I have two, actually. I’m consumed by efforts both to properly feed and nourish my kids’ bodies, and to enlighten them by the constant study and discussion of philosophy and politics. Reflecting on my youth, it was filled with junk food and mediocre health, and by a virtual familial obliviousness to current events and the liberal arts. Oops.
My children enjoy the latter of my interests and we get into some pretty amazing conversations while driving in the car or while cuddled up together after Friday night dinner—our time to unplug and just “be” with each other—but the former, my interest in nutrition and wellness, is usually met with, “Aw, Mom! Why do you have to be a health freak? Why can’t you be like the other moms and just let us eat junk?”
Because I can’t. I’ve read too much and know too much about the value to growing bodies of whole, organic food, and about the long-term health dangers of the processed, dyed, pre-packaged foodstuff that passes for food in this culture.
One of my aims in this blog is to pass along what I am learning so that busy parents can get the information they need. I’m not a medical doctor, but these days, when it comes to nutrition, that can sadly be a good thing. How many of your pediatricians has bothered to educate themselves about child nutrition beyond a few obvious platitudes? Please use this site and the links it will be providing to help start filling in some of the blanks.