"Do as I say, not as I do."
When was the first time you heard your kids say a cuss word, or a phrase that you use, right back at you? They were probably about two years old. Well, I don't know about you, but that was some time ago. We all know that children will do what we do, rather than what we tell them to do.
How many times have you related this to your health and well being? Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MS Ed, FAAP (that's a lot of titles), in his book Building Resilience in Children and Teens, states "You can make a difference in making sure children will become healthy, emotionally intelligent adults." Our goal isn't just raising healthy kids, our goal is that when we let go, they are healthy adults. What is your example of healthy?
What do you eat? Now what do you feed them? I know this is hard, children are picky eaters. Keep trying to feed them vegetables. A friend of mine put a new twist on the polite bite rule. She asks her two year old boys to take a bite, the first bite is to see how their mouth likes it, the second to see how their tummy likes it and the third to see if they agree. They think this is hilarious and by the third bite they like it. "Hey Mikey"
What do you eat or drink when you are stressed, tired, overly hungry? Chips, coffee, carbs? Or is it a cup of chamomile tea, water, a piece of fruit?
How do you deal with stress? Exercise? A glass of wine? Both are good in moderation.
Do you take enough time to spend resting, relaxing, having fun? Remember, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
How do you relax? A good book or the boob tube? I am certainly guilty of zoning out in front of the TV way too often. However, once I find a good book I can't put it down.
I am not perfect in any sense of the imagination. However, when I see my kids coping in negative ways, I usually only need to look in the mirror, or my spouses mirror. Then again, when my daughter came home from college and told me they didn't serve enough fruit and vegetables at the cafe, I smiled. I guess feeding her real pureed peas at one wasn't such a bad idea.
