Who cares?

[ivansmom07]

Apparently, not enough people.

I've been in the answers section for a while and I'm just amazed at the general attitude of some ladies.  Some of the questions have been on processed foods, canned 'meals', etc.  'As long as they're fed, who cares?' seems to be the common theme.

Um.  Yeah.

I don't feed my son as healthy as I'd like to and I can admit to this.  I can't afford to feed him everything organic, I don't have my own garden and I depend on foods I find at the grocery store.  What I DO do, however, is make the best decisions I possibly can.  This includes reading labels, going to my local farmers market, cutting on sugars, processed foods, etc.  I care about what my son eats.  I don't want him to develop eating disorders, diabetes, obesity, etc.

I make ALL our meals at home, I cook everyday.  Eating out is a treat around here.  Even when I was working full time I would cook dinner every day.  The slow cooker (crock pot) became my best friend.  Making large portions of meals and freezing for later use proved to be a step in the right direction.  Learning to make meals that required little cooking is especially a life saver during the summer.  Salads, soups and sandwiches don't take a lot of work and the possibilities are endless.

That non-chalant attitude of 'as long as they're fed, who cares' actually saddens me. I would give ANYTHING to be able to feed my son a diet that I knew was 100% perfect and healthy but I can't.  Just this week, I had to do the majority of our grocery shopping at the dollar store.  Fortunately, they carry fruits and veggies and I was able to pick up quite a few things.  They had organic rice milk with no carageenan (score!) and whole grain bread (double score!)

I know budget has a lot to do with some of the decisions made.  But, there is zero doubt in my mind that laziness has a lot more to do than people admit.

[RanaAurora]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 3:53 PM

Lazyness, huh?  Like not hitting spell-check? ;)

Okay, but seriously, I totally agree.  I hate this minimalist parenting bullshit attitude.  "As long as my child is surviving, I'm a success as a parent!"  Screw you, no you're not.

[jellyphish]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 3:55 PM

Yeah, that's sad.  As if the mothers only want the bare minimum for survival of their children.  What happened to wanting the best?  Even if you can't afford it right now, the minimum should never be enough.  For me the best is an unattainable goal, I'm always striving for what's best for her, and often in the face of adversity (which is just as horrible- people telling me I *shouldn't* want the best for her, jeezy).

[J-M]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 4:20 PM

Yes, well, luckily our chidlren will get to see Social Darwinism at its finest.

[evwsquared]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 4:36 PM

I agree with you, Angie. Maybe part of the reason that people say this is because they hold to a philosophy wherein "I won't question your parenting decisions if you don't questions mine." If they were to admit that there might be something wrong with what someone else is doing, it could open them up to similar criticism, right? This all goes along with the "I did X and my kids are fine" argument that aurorabunny wrote about.

[parrishsky]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 4:55 PM

No one ever told me I was doing wrong when I opened a can of spaghettios for my kids. But for a few years now we've moved away from processed foods to healthy foods without even dwelling on it. I admit I used to give my kids too many cheese doodles or packaged foods but I find it much easier and cheaper to eat fresh and as they've gotten older they've made decisions such as drinking soy milk on their own. I never told them milk was bad but they felt soy was better. Same with fast food. We rarely eat it and now when we do at least 2 of us feel ill afterwards. Eating home and eating healthy is not hard to do, plus the conversations around the dinner table are priceless.

[sdgd21]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 4:56 PM

I agree, we feed out children best we can, and the best we know how, can goods are set in our survival supplies!

[lovemybabygirl7]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 5:27 PM

I agree and I think it's all about making the best choices when you can.  I try to feed my daughter as whole, natural and organic as possible but sometimes it doesn't happen.  I do try and stay away from the artificial colors and flavors as much as possible.  It is hard being a working single mom but knowing that my daughter is getting a good start in life because of her diet means a lot to me.

[MAUREEN55]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 5:50 PM

Next your going to say that McDonald's 4 times a week is bad for kids.  You're such a nut.

[MelanieLouise]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 6:21 PM

I don't know MAUREEN55, but I really hope she's kidding! McDonald's ONCE a week is horrible!

Angie, I completely agree with you! Who cares? I DO!! I want to know what goes into my kids' mouths and my own, and if it's not beneficial, I don't want anything to do with it. We used to go out a lot, and it was because I was lazy. Now, I'm excited to try these new fresh ingredients and make things from scratch as often as I can!

[Guinhyvar]

Jul. 14, 2009 at 6:21 PM

True that, Angie.

You already know I have a big family, I talk about it a lot I know, but even with my budget and what-not, I still try my damndest to feed them fresh, less processed and more organic foods. It can be done.