Train Up a Child

Train up a child in the way he should go,
for when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

K is 6 months old today.  I can't believe it!  It seems like just yesterday I was holding her in the hospital trying to breastfeed.  Our first week home I was an emotional mess because she wasn't getting enough breast milk.  (I know that a lot of moms think that their babies aren't getting enough to eat, but my baby really wasn't.)  I switched to pumping and all was well...then I stopped producing enough.  So I started supplementing with formula.  Then I really stopped producing and after trying all of my options we decided to exclusively switch to formula.

Now we are starting solids.  We decided to start with vegetables since I have heard that starting with vegetables instead of fruit keeps them from rejecting veggies later in life.  Maybe it's true, maybe it's not...but it can't hurt.  We started with sweet potatoes and today we added peas.  So far so good.

The reason I am telling you this, is because it shows how much effort has gone into making sure my baby is eating properly.  I think all moms (and dads) start that way.  Somewhere, though, during the course of childhood that seems to change.  Be it for convenience or because kids can be picky eaters but fruits and veggies turn into mac & cheese and chicken nuggets.

K is the 14th grandbaby on Russell's side.  As I've attended lots of Sunday dinners and parties I've watched two meals being made.  One for the adults and one for the kids.  I don't like that.  I think doing that keeps kids from trying new things and puts a lot of pressure on the cook.  I know that some kids are picky eaters but I think a lot of times the picky eating comes from the parents.  I don't know how many times I've heard someone say "Oh, you won't like that" to a toddler.  That drives me crazy.  My brother's little girl tries everything you give her.  Her favorite foods are tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and sushi.  Yes, sushi.  No one ever told her it was "yucky".  I hope my little girl is as good an eater as she is.  

I can't tell you how many blogs I've read that blame their childhood for their poor eating habits.  My goal is to continue to make good healthy meals for my family.  Now, my daughter will get The Blue Box, Happy Meals, and hot dogs.  Just not every day.  She'll also get ice cream and soda pop.  Just not every day.  I believe in a good balance.

It is my hope that K learns to love healthy foods.  It is my hope that I can teach her healthy eating habits that she can take with her for the rest of her life.  It is my hope that she never has to feel like the fat girl.

 

K's first bite of solid food