Last week I took both kids to get their annual physicals. Ashley needed her 11 year old shots – which surprisingly went well – compared to last month when she literally screamed and jumped off the table right before they stuck her!
During the “questions” part of the physical, the conversation went a little like this:
Doctor: Colton, do you eat breakfast?
Colton: Yes
Doctor: What do you eat?
Colton: I eat Pop Tarts or pumpkin pie (which only happened once!!!) or donuts.
I must have turned five shades of red, avoided eye contact with the doctor and felt like the worst mother in the world. In reality, yeah, he does occasionally eat Pop Tarts, and he gets a special donut on Sunday mornings, but typically he eats an apple, or grapes and in the summer he’ll eat melon. Of course he failed to mention that during the discussion.
Doctor: Colton, that’s not a very healthy way to start your day. Maybe you should try eating some fruit or yogurt.
Colton: Uhmmm, I don’t know.
Doctor: What do you eat for dinner?
Colton: Hot Dogs, Spaghetti, Chicken Sandwiches, Pizza and ummmm….
Doctor: What about vegetables, do you eat any kinds of vegetables?
Colton: Carrots, tomatoes, apples, oranges
Doctor: Oh good, you actually eat some good things, not just junk.
Hey a-hole doctor, I’m sitting right here. The boy is not overweight and his teeth are not rotting, so he’s obviously not just eating junk. But yeah – overall – he is a picky eater and would live on junk if I let him.
Doctor: Ashley, what about you? Do you eat breakfast?
Ashley: No
Me: Ashley – yes you do! I make you eat something every day – lately you been eating grapes or an apple.
Doctor: What about oatmeal? Or yogurt?
Ashley: No, that’s gross.
Doctor: Have you ever tried it?
Ashley: Kind of, when I was little, but I didn’t like it.
Me: Ashley – yes you did. You used to eat yogurt and oatmeal and you liked it!
Ashley: Really? I don’t remember.
Doctor: Well both of you need to do me a favor. Did you know that you have to try something 15 times before you can say you don’t like it?
Kids: No way.
Doctor: So for now on, when mom puts something on your plates, you have to at least try it, and you have to try it 15 times. Okay?
Ashley: Ok
Colton: I don’t know.
Doctor: Just “try” it.
Colton: Ok
Doctor: What do you drink?
Ashley: Chocolate milk and pop
Colton: OJ and pop
Doctor: Diet?
Me: No way.
Doctor: Why not diet mom?
Me: Because they are kids, and kids shouldn’t drink diet pop. The artificial sweeteners are bad for them.
Doctor: But sugar isn’t? What’s worse for them mom, artificial sweeteners or being obese?
Me: Well, they aren’t obese, but I didn’t know it was safe to give it to them.
Doctor: Yeah, I would never let me kids drink regular pop. They should be drinking water, but if that doesn’t fly, you should give them diet pop or Crystal Light.
Me: Wow, okay.
Leaving that office I felt like the worse mom ever. Not only do my kids have the worst eating habits, I am contributing to their problem by allowing them to drink one glass of pop a day. I truly only let them have one glass, but obviously one glass is too much.
Now am I the only moron mom out there that thought diet pop wasn’t for kids? I mean, Ashley has a friend who always drinks diet pop, and I always think WTF is wrong with her parents? LOL
Fast forward a week. Colton has now “tried” meatloaf (and he still hates it), salmon (he spit it out), has drank more water, still wants Pop Tarts for breakfast and continues to eat pumpkin pie (which grandma bought him – but not for breakfast – just dessert), still asks for pop.
Ashley has “tried” salmon (hates it), continued to eat grapes for breakfast, ate two pieces of meatloaf (it’s her favorite) and steals my Sobe zero calorie waters in lieu of pop.
So I guess it’s progress. Little by little.
I still have a hard time convincing myself they can have diet pop. Hoping someone can enlighten me. Am I crazy? What is your stance on pop? Diet pop to kids a go or a no?
8 comments:
I don't think you are wrong. From what I have been told it would be better for a kid to have regular sugar then the artificial stuff. I've never heard that diet is better. I had a nutritionist once and she told me that sodas are bad (OK I knew that) but that diet was the worst of all because of all of the stuff in them and that I'd be better off to have just a little of the regular than diet. Hmmm...
Jayme @ Her Late Night Cravings
My husband and I think sugar is better than artificial sweeteners. You will hear different opinions about it. Just like butter or margarine. We think butter is better for you (in moderation) rather than fake stuff. I think if it's in moderation, "real" sugar is better than artificial. But I'm not a dr. I think you should do what you feel is best for your family. I am 35 and completely healthy and my mom gave me Diet Coke....but who knows the long term effects? You sound like a perfectly normal mom and it sounds like your kiddos are normal as well:)
That ticks me off that their doctor made you feel that way! If they are having soda it should be sugar than the crap that is in Diet! Oh man.
That doctor sounded like a condescending jerk. He should not have made you feel that way.My kids drank diet soda as teens. They also ate pop tarts etc. and turned out just fine. Sounds like the kids are picky eaters. Mine were the same way. I used to cook 3 different meals just to get them to eat. I was from a home of you eat what you are served and I never liked that. I swore my kids would eat what they liked (in moderation of course). Have a good weekend Heather!
First of all, they are YOUR kids. Yes he is a doctor BUT that doesn't mean he necessarily knows best. My Anika was always a picky eater. She NEVER eats breakfast because when she does it makes her sick. Her first meal of the day is always after 11:00 am and it's usually a snack of some sort. This morning she had a banana & caramel cupcake. Her lunch consists of sandwhiches, fries, nuggets and so forth and she is just now (at 13) starting to eat some healthier dinners. When she was younger she lived off of packaged noodles, pizza & mac n cheese. Her weight is fine (she's a skinny minny), she's never had a cavity and seems to be a picture of health. Ax is totally different. He eats breakfast but it's usually cheetos. Some days he will eat me out of house & home and others he won't eat enough to keep a bird alive. He's not picky at all but he either likes something or hates it. He's (overweight) in terms of their standards but his doctor informed me that KIDS are not considered overweight in his opinion until they reach the age of 10 and lose some of their baby fat. It's ridiculous the standards doctor's sometimes put on kids. Each person is individual. Just do what your gut tells you momma. Momma does really know best. As far as pop, Anika isn't a big pop drinker. That is her choice, not mine. She drinks mostly Gatorade! Axle on the other hand runs with a can of soda in his hand everytime he finds one sitting around. I don't make too big of a deal out of it. A little soda never killed anyone!
So I wasn't completely nuts when I told my step-daughter 12 times. Yey! I'm so glad to know I didn't make that up. I was pretty sure I read or heard it somewhere.
And hey, I guess if it helps that the doctor tells them that, at least you have them trying new things :).
I know I drank diet when I was young but that's b/c that's what my mom drank. Then I outgrew that phase. I've heard diet is bad for everyone so I don't really know.
Oh and I'm so sick of everyone saying regular pop causes obesity! Come on, over eating does just the same thing if not worse.
I don't think your wrong about diet pop either! I've always thought the same thing about the artificial sweetners in them. To me the after-taste is gross, so if I do drink pop it's regular.
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