[Redheaded I am]

I'm pretty new to this forum, but I thought you guys could probably appreciate this--

Last night, I was in the kitchen making a new pitcher of ice tea. My son (he's 10) came in and asked if he could have a snack. I said yes, so he started to rummage in the fridge. He said "Oh...cool! Cottage cheese. Can I have some?" Of course I said yes, so then he pulled out a bowl, READ THE LABEL ON THE CONTAINER TO SEE HOW MUCH ONE SERVING WAS, THEN PULLED OUT A MEASURING CUP AND MEASURED THE 1/2 CUP SERVING. All without me saying a word to him. Wow...this is cool on so many levels!! Not only does he think cottage cheese is a yummy snack, but he's picked up on my striving for proper portions, and he's following suit.

In the past few years, some of my bad eating habits were picked up by my son, and in the 3rd grade he started to become chunky. That's been my biggest disappointment to myself--that I was continuing the cycle that has been in my family for several generations.

It was very encouraging and REALLY nice to see that the seed has been planted in my son's brain, and that he's starting to make good choices about snacks and portion sizes. Of course, he's still a kid--he piled his snack in the measuring cup as high as it would go. But baby steps....baby steps!!

[PhotoChick]

That's awesome! Yay for your son!

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[Horo]

Wow, that's amazing. I hope you feel EXTREMELY PROUD of yourself and your son, as so many parents are (unknowingly or not) instead teaching their children to mindlessly snack in front of the TV these days. Keep your son at it (maybe teach him that a serving's not an overflowing measuring cup full ) and he'll be set up for a life of healthy habits.

[Kitegirl24]

I'm so happy to hear that!! I know a lot of parents who don't give their kids the best foods (and/or portions of those foods) so it is very refreshing to see a mom teach her kids healthy habits!! He will carry those habits with him for the rest of his life, and ultimately be thankful that you care enough to teach him good choices.

Personally, even though I have had weight issues, I am SO glad that my parents never kept soda, chips, and other unhealthy stuff in the house when I was younger. Sure, we had cookies and ice cream occasionally, but I was never deprived of anything. I can only imagine how much harder it would be for me if my parents had let me eat fast food and other junk

Good job!!

[mandalinn82]

Love to hear things like that...it isn't just about us...it is about what we pass on to others around us.

What a great NSV!

[Mrs Snark]

How wonderful!!!! I'm sure as a parent it feels like a fine line to tread between instilling good food habits and not creating kids obsessed with weight or diet! That must have been awesome to watch him make that snack! Way to go!

[Redheaded I am]

Originally Posted by mandalinn82

Love to hear things like that...it isn't just about us...it is about what we pass on to others around us.

What a great NSV!

You're so right. When all is said and done, I think I'll be more proud of good habits passed on to Nicholas than anything else. He's been reading ingredient labels for quite awhile and likes cooking and loves veggies, so getting the portion thing under control is a big thing for him...heck..both of us.

[H8cake]

That's great! I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't teach my kids good eating habits. They are still home though, and I'm finding it's never too late. The guy that wrote the "Eat This - Not That" books was on the Today show quite a bit last fall. He got me curious and I started checking out calorie counts on calorieking.com. It became a fun pastime for me and the kids to see how many calories are in things that we loved eating, like a shake from Jack in the box It really opened my eyes and theirs too. Now they check out the calorie counts before they eat and they've both dropped weight. I like to tell them that ignorance is bliss until it's all over your butt!