Healthy Choices
As Kindergarten started I made the decision that Colin would be packing his own lunch. I'd love to take full credit for this, but I can't. My incredibly wise friend Nora once told me that with each of her kids (she has 7!) when they started school, from day one she had them prepare their own lunches.
I'm proud to say I stole her idea.
So the night before Colin's first day of school I had him up on a stool, preparing his own lunch. Supervised, of course, but he was doing it. He made himself half a sandwich, a vegetable side (baby carrots with dip) and a small serving of pretzles and goldfish with a box of white milk as his beverage. He added a stick of cheddar cheese for morning snack, and filled his water bottle, and he was all set.
Each morning I slip in an ice pack and a napkin with a little picture (smiley face, a mouse, a lion) and that's that. I can't believe how much in awe everyone is about this. The management at his old daycare, other parents... no one can believe I have my son making his own lunch.
At "Back to School" night I smirked to myself when the teacher asked parents to tell their kids what is "lunch" versus "snack" as some kids were apparently trying to eat their pasta as snack, and then didn't have much left for lunch. Not a problem for us - Colin knows exactly what he packs for snack versus lunch!
But my real moment of pride was last week. He made himself a sandwich (ham and cheese on whole grain bread, with a little lettuce and Caesar dressing), and then for his side he asked, "Mommy, can I take in a salad?"
I swear I heard a choir of angels. My 5-year-old son just asked if he could take a salad in to school for lunch. WOO HOO!!! Happy dance!!!
I quieted myself, and tried calmly to tell him that yes, that would be fine. And he made himself a good salad. Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, croutons and Caesar dressing. How 'bout that?!?!
My other big moment of pride was when he came home on the first day and said that during before care they had food and he got a chocolate milk and a chocolate chip muffin. We had a talk about that, and I asked him if he had made a healthy choice. He gave me a sideways smile and reluctantly said no. I told him that he's a big boy now, and he needs to make sure that he is eating healthy food.
The next day Colin came home, smiled brightly at me, and said "Mommy, today at before-care I picked a white milk and a plain bagel!"
I praised him on making better choices, but the more I thought about it, this was a much bigger win than the salad. I was standing there helping him make lunch, and would have guided him away from any bad decisions. But there he was, a 5-year-old boy, all alone with no one standing over him to guide him. No parents, no teachers, just him and a whole lotta decisions to make. And he made the decision, all on his own, to make a healthy choice. Not that a plain bagel is the pinnacle of nutrition, but considering the other sugary crap they are offering I'm dang proud that he chose a bagel over chocolate frosted sugar bombs. (My displeasure with the school system offering kids in grades K-3 all-sugar breakfast options is another story which I'm trying desperately to keep to myself.)
In the meantime, I'm one proud momma! Atta boy, Colin!
I'm proud to say I stole her idea.
So the night before Colin's first day of school I had him up on a stool, preparing his own lunch. Supervised, of course, but he was doing it. He made himself half a sandwich, a vegetable side (baby carrots with dip) and a small serving of pretzles and goldfish with a box of white milk as his beverage. He added a stick of cheddar cheese for morning snack, and filled his water bottle, and he was all set.
Each morning I slip in an ice pack and a napkin with a little picture (smiley face, a mouse, a lion) and that's that. I can't believe how much in awe everyone is about this. The management at his old daycare, other parents... no one can believe I have my son making his own lunch.
At "Back to School" night I smirked to myself when the teacher asked parents to tell their kids what is "lunch" versus "snack" as some kids were apparently trying to eat their pasta as snack, and then didn't have much left for lunch. Not a problem for us - Colin knows exactly what he packs for snack versus lunch!
But my real moment of pride was last week. He made himself a sandwich (ham and cheese on whole grain bread, with a little lettuce and Caesar dressing), and then for his side he asked, "Mommy, can I take in a salad?"
I swear I heard a choir of angels. My 5-year-old son just asked if he could take a salad in to school for lunch. WOO HOO!!! Happy dance!!!
I quieted myself, and tried calmly to tell him that yes, that would be fine. And he made himself a good salad. Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, croutons and Caesar dressing. How 'bout that?!?!
My other big moment of pride was when he came home on the first day and said that during before care they had food and he got a chocolate milk and a chocolate chip muffin. We had a talk about that, and I asked him if he had made a healthy choice. He gave me a sideways smile and reluctantly said no. I told him that he's a big boy now, and he needs to make sure that he is eating healthy food.
The next day Colin came home, smiled brightly at me, and said "Mommy, today at before-care I picked a white milk and a plain bagel!"I praised him on making better choices, but the more I thought about it, this was a much bigger win than the salad. I was standing there helping him make lunch, and would have guided him away from any bad decisions. But there he was, a 5-year-old boy, all alone with no one standing over him to guide him. No parents, no teachers, just him and a whole lotta decisions to make. And he made the decision, all on his own, to make a healthy choice. Not that a plain bagel is the pinnacle of nutrition, but considering the other sugary crap they are offering I'm dang proud that he chose a bagel over chocolate frosted sugar bombs. (My displeasure with the school system offering kids in grades K-3 all-sugar breakfast options is another story which I'm trying desperately to keep to myself.)
In the meantime, I'm one proud momma! Atta boy, Colin!
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