I suppose every generation of parents thinks their kids are way more educated than the generation before. I certainly hadn’t heard of the food pyramid when I was 5! We bought our daughter an Usborne book about the human body when she was 5. She really loved it. Kids seem to have photographic memories. Not only does she read it and understand it, she remembers every little thing in it.

There is one chapter in this book about food and the food pyramid. The general idea being that different foods serve different purposes and we only need so much of each type. Her being familiar with this has made things so much easier. Like explaining why she can’t have Coco Pops every morning. Ok, the secret’s out, we have Coco Pops in our house… but they’re administered sparingly and infrequently… honestly and I really don’t feel the least bit guilty about it… really. Anyway, she often comments on the food she’s eating and where it lies in the food pyramid. It even creates a degree of self regulation.

A lesson here is that it’s so much better to take the time to explain to kids why they can’t do or have something… when they understand, it’s so much easier for them to accept.

One day Leah was blowing bubbles. Then she started trying to catch them in her mouth. Her mum told her this probably wasn’t a good idea. Leah paused, looking pensive and after a fewe moments came out with this:

You know, there should be a section above the food pyramid for things you should never eat, like bubbles.

Priceless. The mind of a child is awesome. So I’ve taken this concept and produced my idea of what should lie above the top of the food pyramid.

The Extended Food Pyramid

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Jody Parenting, Personal Ramblings bubbles, food pyramid, Parenting

Remembering Summer

As the rain pours outside, this is a nice reminder of what summer was like this year, now that it’s all over. There’s something wonderful and honest about a child’s drawings. Nothing is hidden or held back and notable features are disproportionate and exaggerated. It really gives tremendous insight into the mind of a child. If only us adults were so open and honest.

I just love this picture. I can’t quite put my finger on why I like it so much. The girl’s big smile, the enormous sun, the flowing dress and the huge flowers. Everything nice, pleasant and positive is exaggerated and emphasized. There’s a lesson there. Maybe we should focus on the positive more. Especially in these times - it would certainly be good for our mental health to concentrate on the positives.

As we crossed paths, I had a 2 minute conversation with a colleague the other day. 

 - ”How are your girls?”, he asked.  (I have three, two small ones and a wife ).

 - “They’re great”, I replied.

- “Well that’s the main thing, isn’t it”, he said as we parted.

It left me thinking. That is the main thing. You can loose your focus. You can be distracted by the overwhelming incompetence of the government, the scale of the financial crisis, the crapness of the weather… but in the end, my girls are happy. It’s so obvious in the picture that my daughter is happy. That’s all that matters and that’s what should concern me most of all.

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Jody Personal Ramblings children's art, happiness, summer