You know, days like this remind me that no matter how imperfect I may be as a mom, I know I'm better than some. It's a small, petty comfort. But it's mine, and I'm keeping it.
Volunteering in Kindergarten class this morning, I about fell over when one of the little boys pulled out a giant Hershey bar for his "snack" at 9:45 a.m. Not just the big size vs. the Halloween mini size. I'm talking about a novelty, 5x8-inch, thick, hunk-0-chocolate.
Now, I'd love to believe that little rascal snuck it out of the pantry when mom wasn't looking, but the sad truth is, it was given to him. Being less than politically correct, I verified that mere fact myself.
It's no secret nutrition education for children starts at birth. They develop likes and dislikes for a variety of foods and textures early on, refining their palates as they reach school age. And when it comes to nutritious snack foods, our choices are by no means limited to fruits and vegetables. There are so many wonderful healthy snacks available these days, many without all the yukky artificial food colors, flavors and preservatives.
It just isn't that hard to help a child make the right food choices -- or make it for him, while you still can. It's really one of the most important life lessons we can teach, and demonstrate to, our kids.
