We are constantly being exposed to advertisements that recommend various great foods that we should all be consuming. Despite there being many good and healthy foods advertised, there are just as many bad, if not more, unhealthy foods and restaurants advertised. This means that it is important for parents to both discuss healthy food with their kids, as well as set good examples for them wherever they eat (home or otherwise). If you tell your child that it is important to eat lots of fruits, vegetables and limit fast food intake, that's great. However, if you preach this but bring home unhealthy food on a consistent basis, you could be in trouble. Destructive habits that kids develop in childhood can be extremely dangerous. It is of course possible to change and break bad habits, but it is easier said than done. The main point to take away is that teaching your children good eating habits is good for you and can potentially set up your children to lead healthy lives well beyond the comforts of the birds nest.
Not only should parents strive to teach healthy eating, but should also make a great effort to ensure their children are physically active. Many people reading this will no doubt be thinking that this is all old news and that I am wasting your time. Perhaps, but that surely does not explain why obesity rates in North America and around the world have never been higher and continue to get worse. Everyone claims to know everything, but most do nothing with that information. Eating healthy is great, but living a sedentary lifestyle can be as dangerous as living off nothing but fast food. I think my main points are pretty clear. If you commit to having children and being a parent then you should make the effort to ensure your children eat and live healthy lives. I am not saying that you should be crazy and make sure they never have a cheeseburger or other unhealthy foods. The key is to limit unhealthy food, maximize healthy food and be open and transparent with your children about food, the body and health. Now, let's finish this shitty post with the swearing connection.
Swearing in our world is as ubiquitous as sleeping, eating and touching boobs (I think we have all sworn at a boob before, but that is for another post). Why swearing and food? Irony. I don't give a hoot about using swear words, gosh darnit, but many people do. My views of swearing are actually real fodder for a later post, but know that I am more than fine with it. Anyways, I find it curious that so many parents go to great lengths to ensure that their children are not exposed to profanity of any sort, and come down extremely hard when they catch them. The curious thing is that one would go to such great lengths to prevent something that is nearly impossible to prevent (short of locking them in a small hole and letting them grow up there). Why pursue this impossible and questionable goal, but feed your kids trash? Why set endless bad examples with diet and exercise, but try and make sure your kids don't say the word "shit"? Teaching your kids to eat crap and not exercise is tantamount to making the following deal with the devil: Parents: I will make sure that my kids eat lots of crap and never exercise, as long as you agree to shorten their lives significantly...deal? Devil: Do you know how much paprika I am supposed to put on these eggs? Parents: I thought that was your recipe? Devil: Oh yes, nevermind...yes, yes, the deal is on. Lesson here: If you are going to perseverate about something as a parent, than it might as well be about healthy food and exercise, good day all.
