Skip to main content

Question

I took the Little Lady to her first ballgame today.  It was a blast and she outdid her two year old self and sat/walked around/was tantrum free all the way through the middle of the eighth inning.  Seriously, I know adults that can't do that.  One of the reasons (I think) that she was so well behaved is that I fed her for almost three hours straight.  I pulled out all of those "special treats" that I usually reserve for bribes, long car rides or special occasions.  You know, like fruit snacks, cookies, cotton candy, ice cream cones.  All in one sitting.

So it got me thinking.

When I go out, whether it's a fun night out with my girls, a date with the Mr. or simply treating myself to something nice I tend to feel justified in "splurging" a little bit.  Mostly calorically.  I'll have that piece of dessert.  I'll order the deep fried asparagus (because it's still vegetables!).  Or a latte and a cookie.  Completely unnecessary, but it's a treat, so it's ok, right?

I started thinking that maybe I was approaching this treat business all wrong and I was just setting the LL up for a lifetime of special treats and eating out of boredom.  I know I'm quite good at it, so it's no surprise to me that I'm showing LL the way too.  I get why I do it, it's far easier to let me kid eat that extra pouch of snacks than to try to distract, entertain or simply interact with her in the way she needs at the time.  But, from here on out, I'm going to try to feed less and interact more.  Perhaps I can save her future hips a few pounds and give her another way to address boredom.

So my question to you is:  

Am I  teaching bad habits by filling the LL up with treats?
Or am I simply teaching her that it is ok to treat yourself once in a while?

Discuss.
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010 at 5:24 PM

    I think you have to ask yourself first, "Am I treating my child out of anguish to ignore the necessity to distract, to interact, or am I treating my child out of love and generosity?" I think kids are smart enough to read in between our words and look past posturing to see the truth in our eyes and the cream pie resting in those open palms like an offering held in future thighs. I strive to treat my daughter to bike rides along city streets pointing out dried leaves in the summer heat as we debate the value of going faster to escape imaginary bears. Hopefully when she gets older and gets bored she'll remember how delicious fresh air can be.

    ReplyDelete
  2. theEmOneJuly 23, 2010 at 5:25 PM

    The fact that you're concerned at all about this issue speaks volumes about how much of a problem your "treating" probably isn't.

    I don't think you're teaching LN that she needs to eat to feel loved or to fill some sort of void when she's stressed. You nurture her in plenty of other, tangible ways. You hold her and hug her, tickle and talk to her and read and re-read the same books over and over. You take her for long walks and trips to the park and… really, need I go on???

    The truth is, that the association between food and love is absolutely unavoidable. We teach our infants to trust us by feeding them when they are hungry and crying. We do this over and over again, at all hours of the day and night, having had little to no sleep because of aforementioned hunger-crying-feeding. We do this because we love them. Later, when they're a little older, they mimic this behavior by trying to shove slobbery lumps of food into our mouths because they want to make us feel good too. As much as I believe that an already been slobbered on banana is a really, really gross sign of love, it's pretty sweet if you think about it.

    I'd also like to add that most of the treats you share with your family and friends are lovingly made with your own hands. You aren't shoving individual serving bags of Doritos and cans of Sprite into LN's hands and pushing her out the back door. In fact you even let her help you create these delicious treats, meals, etc.

    I'm tempted to go into a longwinded geeky anthropological rant about food and culture and specifically how it reinforces, and sometimes even creates familial bonds, but I've probably already ranted way too much.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The New Year's List: Grad School

So last night I officially crossed one item off of my New Years To-Do List . I attended the Hamline University's open house for the School of Education's Graduate Programs. It's part of my, "What Do I Want To Do When I Grow Up" process. LN is getting older and I need to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. We may or may not have another child, so either way I want to get a move on and start something for myself. A degree in Anthropology can take you a lot of places, but one place it can't take you is to the Employment section of the newspaper. At least if you're looking for a subsection with it in the title. That leaves one with a host of choices. Too many choices in my opinion and that's why it's taken me this long to decide on my next step. I started the application process last night. I'm not sure what the final outcome will be. I'm choosing to wait and make that decision until after I've heard whe...
6 comments
Read more

Five Things Friday- Summer Drinks

Hello good peeps!  It's currently 79 degrees in sunny Minneapolis and I think it's high time I shared my favorite summer drinks with you.  Whether you are chilling on a patio, sipping around a campfire or simply sitting in front of your A/C, here are five tasty, cool, refreshing drinks for your  pleasure.  What about you?  What do you imbibe in the summer? Moscow Mule :  I had this for the first time at the beginning of summer and it is just about perfect.  Ginger beer (not ginger ale), vodka and lime come together to form the most refreshing drink you can have on a patio.  Sweet, spicy, with a nice little kick. Surly's Cynic Ale :  A light colored ale with a nice kick at the end.  I could drink pints and pints of this brew.  It's the ideal beer for a back yard BBQ. Arnold Palmer :  Part tart lemonade, part sweet iced tea.  Love this combination in the summer time, especially in the afternoons!  Nothing like a l...
6 comments
Read more

A Confession

First let me come clean.  I'm pregnant. Now, let the next thirty-one weeks commence where I talk of nothing else except my growing belly, appetite and need for Cheetos.  Not really, but I will say this; I'm tired.  So tired that normal everyday tasks that should only take me a few minutes suddenly sit around, unfinished, for days at a time.  Examples?  The dishwasher, the dirty dishes, groceries (the non-perishable ones, duh), folding the laundry, making the bed.  I mean, there are much better things to do, like, stuff handfuls of popcorn in my mouth while watching all the episodes of Angel, in order.  Don't judge me, I am returning to school in a few weeks; maybe this is just me trying desperately to channel myself as a Freshman in college?  Who the heck knows.  What I do know that my "golden time," or nap time as it is commonly called, was once used to clean, cook, tidy up, rest and blog.  Well, you know how much blogging I've done o...
3 comments
Read more