I recently attended a “reunion” with my girlfriends from high school. We try to get together every two years or so and see each other. The second half of our weekend is always family-oriented with all 10 of us and our spouses and children spending the day at a park. This weekend is quite fun, and several of us travel long distances to see everyone.
One of my friends is very into healthy eating, working out constantly and even works in the nutrition field. I must admit, I love to workout; I do it daily. I also try to eat healthy and limit myself to food that isn’t good for me. I do, however, allow my children to eat food that I consider to be treats: brownies, cookies, chips and other foods that remind you of your childhood. I do this with moderation, and for the most part, we eat lots of whole grains and sugar free foods. But, I do believe that children should be allowed to be children and eat those yummy treats when appropriate.
This is where my “healthy” friend seems to go overboard. First, I must say that this friend is extremely skinny. So skinny in fact, that I actually gasped out loud when I saw her. Her bones protrude everywhere and she just looks unhealthy. For someone who plans nutrition and exercise plans for large corporations, I was stunned by her appearance. I held back in saying anything, but I really think she has a problem.
I began to become more concerned when her husband, a doctor, was discussing a story with another friend of ours, about how their three year old actually ate a cookie the other day and his head didn’t explode like Mommy made it out to happen should he eat that cookie. From what I understand, their children, to no fault of their father’s, are not allowed any sweets, or any snacks that may be deemed unhealthy.
This, and two other incidents with cookies and this family; have left me wondering. How much is too much when monitoring your child and what he or she eats? Is my friend, as a parent, going overboard? Is she teaching her child something negative about food by getting upset at the thought of them eating cookies or chips?
Maybe because I see eating these types of things normal in childhood: I could understand if my friend’s child had health issues that would result in not being allowed ANY types of sweets, but he doesn’t.
So, I ask, how much is too much for a parent to push on a child when it comes to things like this? Is she building a good nutritional base for her children, or is this type of parenting going to result in food issues for them?