serenity in feeding

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Well, summer camp has started, I'm on day two of antibiotics for strep (3rd time in 2 years-any adults out there had their tonsils out? I'm a little nervous...) so I need a little serenity. This is something I've been mulling around for awhile, though probably not the most original.

Feeding kids can feel crazy, from their irrational food preferences that change by the minute, to the societal pressures moms feel to do everything "right" (have a kid who happily eats all fruits and veggies, has impeccable manners, has a BMI between the 25 th and 50th% if she's a girl and between the 75 and 100th % if he's a boy...)

But, there are things with good feeding that we can and can't control. Feeding with the Division of Responsibility is a leap of faith. It's countercultural so you often won't get support from your family or friends, it goes against every media story or cultural norm to suggest that children can be trusted to eat a balance of good foods, get nutritional variety and eat the right amounts of foods, IF we do our jobs with feeding.

So here's my serenity prayer for feeding...

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
  • my child's genetic weight (may be high or low, can be healthy)
  • my child's temperament
  • my temperament
  • my feeding history
  • my dieting or eating disorder history
  • finances? kitchen set-up?
courage to change the things I can
  • feeding without pressure
  • being reliable about family meals and structure
  • offering a variety of foods
  • my attitude about my body
  • my attitude about others' bodies
  • my cooking skills
  • my "picky" eating
  • focus on healthy behaviors, not numbers on the scale

and wisdom to know the difference

(Knowing the difference is the key! This is where I hope to spread the word...)

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