We just bought a new car seat for our 3.5 year old. It was tricky. Weighing in at 42 lbs she is above the weight limit for most 5 point harnesses (40 lbs) yet not ready for a shoulder strap booster. She’s built quite like a brick house and is the most solid kid I’ve met.
From birth I have called her my petite little flower.
My heart broke just a little when we finally found a suitable car seat after reading this article: Which Car Seat for an Obese Child?
At her last check up her doctor said that her numbers put her in the category of overweight. He wasn’t concerned because she wasn’t sittin’ around eating Ho-Hos and Ding Dongs. She’s active and eats a balanced diet with sweets and treats in moderation. I am not really concerned, either. She is solid, she is strong, she is so beautiful.
However, being that through the years I have spent more than my fair share of time thinking about my weight and body and food and exercise, I am sad. Since reading the above mentioned article I have tried to talk myself out of the idea that my girl is setting off on a lifelong adventure of food and self image battles.
A quick Google search produced a plethora of resources available to parents of overweight children. It is no surprise that this is a reality. It’s not new information that Americans are fat. American children are fat.
And so I think about my history of poor self image and lifetime of weight awareness and concerns and I look toward my daughter’s future. And I wonder what role I’ll play in the development of my daughters healthy lifestyle. A.L. Hatch’s post yesterday echoes. So many smart, strong, beautiful women have struggled with perceived flaws. Lucy mustn’t. Our children mustn’t. How will we help our daughters (and sons) to be healthy: body, mind, and spirit? To be strong: body, mind, and spirit?
Honestly, it’s enough to make me reach for a snickerdoodle.
by Megin Hatch
[tags]kids, parenting, overweight children, obese children, obesity, diets, car seat safety, balanced diet, health [/tags]
Photos of Lucy graciously provided by the author, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
5 responses so far ↓
InTheFastLane // Jan 16, 2008 at 12:08 pm
It is a tough balance to make sure our kids are healthy physically and emotionally, especially with girls. My kids have all been so skinny, that I have had to add fats and proteins to their diets. But, even so, I have always tried to make sure they had (mostly) healthy options and that we focused more on the healthiness of life rather than trying to make our bodies look a certain way.
Deb Heck // Jan 20, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I have a pretty solid 3.5 year old daughter too and have the same concerns. I try to look at her with a critical eye (not Mommy eyes) every so often to make sure I’m not just ignoring something I need to change. For now, I’ve got her in gymnastics class to introduce her to fun ways to move her body. We talk a lot about which foods are healthy and why the others aren’t (even though we still have some). And I try to make sure she sees me getting my exercise, walking, biking, weights, yoga. I need to shed some pounds but I’m not focusing so much on that as letting her see me practicing healthy things. Leading by example here.
Maffy // Jan 22, 2008 at 10:25 am
I’ve got a great recipe for snickerdoodles! Relax and have a bite and don’t share with the kids.
Megin Hatch // Jan 23, 2008 at 5:29 am
ITFL- Deb-
I agree whole heartedly about setting the right example and focusing on good health. Thanks for the thoughts-
Maffy- I love you and you darn snickerdoodles, too. Thanks fer coming by!
linda // May 11, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Interesting read! I think the best way to start promoting healthy eating in children is removing sweets and sodas from schools! Five to ten (depending on if the children are eating both breakfast and lunch) are eaten at school every week. Children will hopefully pick up healthier eating habits this way for the rest of their lives, also! You can find some additional interesting reading over at the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau page on childhood obesity.
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