I have tried to live and breathe body positivity for myself for the past year. Learning to love yourself after a lifetime of hating is very tough. Things are starting to get a bit better, but there are still struggles. Learning and living with being kind to yourself is one thing, but what about teaching others about it? What about trying to make a small impact in a child’s life?! I’m faced with this every day, as my 3-year-old son gets older every minute and is absorbing information at the rate of a sponge these days.
On our drive to his preschool, we pass a McDonald’s, and we pass on the side where you can see the cars at the drive thru. A few weeks ago he asked, “What’s that, momma?” and pointed at the McDonald’s. I replied, “It’s a restaurant. Where people eat.” He then said, “We eat there?” I almost said, “No, that’s bad food,” but stopped myself. Instead I said, “No, we prefer healthier food.” While I was proud of myself for that moment, I am finding more and more instances where I have to stop and think about what I’m saying and how it could negatively affect him for the rest of his life. I don’t want him to think McDonald’s is bad food, just that we choose not to eat there because it isn’t healthy. I don’t want my son to grow up with the idea that fast food is BAD, that fat people are BAD. I’m really trying to nip this in the bud at a young age.
I’d hate for him to have the same feelings about certain things that I did when I was growing up. I learned that places like McDonald’s were bad for me because I was already fat, but it was totally cool for my much thinner friends to eat fast food. In reality, it really isn’t a healthy option for anyone, or a good source of the nutrients that our bodies need.
I wonder if my parents, our parents, had taught us that fast food is okay to have – but because it’s loaded with X,Y, and Z ingredients and doesn’t supply us with A, B, and C ingredients – how my views on food might be different at this day and age. Teaching me to not feel guilty for wanting some fries, or that even though I know chickens don’t have “nuggets,” it’s okay to still crave them and not feel like gluttonous pig for doing so.
Help me teach my son, and the next generation. Does anyone who reads this blog have kids, and have you ever thought about this before? Thought about how your words can impact your child’s future outlook on such a thing as food? If so, I’d love to hear your feedback!
