Defending Our Kids

I keep hearing, and seeing with my own eyes, people wonder about why their kids are so hyper, can't sit still, sedentary or over weight, I can't help but think that the answers are all right in front of us. If we just look a little deeper, not just at the world around us, but also in the mirror, many of the answers are right there. 

A hundred years ago most kids played outside, helped in the family home/farm/business and walked to and from school. They worked, got bored entertained themselves and solved problems all on their own. They had to, it was how families survived, by sticking together and working and depending on each other. A 6 year old did not spend 14 hours a week watching tv, 8-18 years certainly did not spend 28 hours a week watching tv. Half the children in America have a tv in their room, HALF. When kids are bombarded with the unnatural rhythm of the television it is hard for them to adjust to the slower paced rhythm of real life, so of course they seem hyper and uncontrollable, they are waiting for the next 'thing' to happen and be exciting. Parents must wrestle control of the tv away from their children and at the same time set a good example for them. It will be hard to start with but it can be done.

The flip side of the 'hyper' child is of course the sedentary child, the one who seem only to be entertained by the television and seems morose with out it. These poor children seem so disconnected with natural life in general and wholly tuned in to television. They have not found the joy of jumping in mud puddles, or playing in fresh snow or climbing trees. Do they know there is life without a screen? Again parents must step in, but now completely remove the tv from this child's life, they have to be forced to entertain themselves, for their own good. The knowledge of entertaining oneself comes from finding your creativity in the depths of boredom. And it will be painful but so worth it.

The food we pump into our kids is atrocious. Who fooled Americans into thinking frooit by the foot was actually fruit? Are we really that dumb? Yes, because we continue to buy it, feed it to our kids and wonder why little Donny can't sit still. Fake food is not good for you period. The food colors are a big culprit, yes they could be causing hyper activity. But also kids who don't know how to eat a piece of fruit are missing out, fruit is sweet, has fiber for your body, takes time to eat and you'll feel fuller longer. The empty calories in frooit by the foot, plus these ingredients:"Pears from Concentrate, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Water, Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Acetylated Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Citrate, Malic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)Potassium Citrate, Natural Flavor, Color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1)"make just this one form of Fake Food a great example of crappy food. Consider all the other truly bad forms of Fake Food available to feed your kids. Ick. Parents must come to the rescue of their children here too. They will need to model eating habits for their children, they must eat vegetables, drink water, eat real fruit, limit meats, sweets and fat laden foods. We must demand food changes in America, we can't continue, we are damaging the next generation of adults by weakening them now with bad food. Is it going too far to say we are sabotaging the future of our country by allowing such abominations to exist as 'food'?

Is it any wonder that the world of tv and fake food advertising are so closely intertwined? Not really. Tv is funded by advertising, a good thing to advertise to kids is food that is FUN to eat. We all know that a glass of milk is no fun, but if you add ovaltine, chocolate straws, hersheys syrup, strawberry syrup or quik powder it's so much more fun! Food and tv. Tv and food. So twisted together yet if you remove tv the child has less exposure to those things and thus less desire for them.

So when we look in the mirror we see ourselves, the only ones who can save our kids. We must stop pointing fingers. We must stand up for them, defend them, honor them and savor them. They are ours for such a little time, how can we not?


Peace and Love--