a continuation of body image

last week i met my friend at the westerville rec center & as i was waiting (i had worked out for a while & was already there, trying desperately to get millie to sleep. didn't work), while adeline played on the indoor playground & ate her snack at the same time...a talent she has well developed over the past 2 years since those wonderful gerber star snacks were introduced to her. anyway, another little girl, oh myabe 18 months old, was walking around trying to get another kid to offer her part of this girl's snack. this 18 month old girl's mama was following her around (she wasn't going far) & telling her she should not be hungry, it was not snack time, that she already had breakfast. it was nearly 11 o'clock! by then adeline was on her 2nd round of snacks :o)

this mom was having a little post gym class playdate with 2 other mamas. & these other mams kept allowing their kids to give this little girl a snack & the mama was getting a bit peeved that her daughter was hungry, as she sat & watched every other kid who was there & playing running back to their parent for a bite of their snack... it was the strangest thing. then the negative comments started coming from the mama: "she's such a porker. she only wants to eat, all day. she'll be spending time at the gym when she gets older. she's a mooch; don't give her food. look at her thighs!" this little 18 month old girl wasn't the scrawny toddler type, but...not many toddler are. anyway, we gerbickians know the 'sturdy' toddler type & love it. so what? adeline loves to eat all morning? they're growing! their brains are developing! by the way, adeline also has more energy than almost any other toddler girl i've met, so it is my definite thought that she needs this constant snacking. a hungry addy=very grumpy addy=grumpy everyone.

i could feel my face getting hot & red & my anger was building towards this mom who was starting her daughter on a straight path towards eating disorders & poor body image (let alone a poor relationship with her mom!). i just couldn't believe that the other moms she was there with weren't defending this little girl! instead, one of the moms even joined in making fun of this toddler & how chubby she was (not even close to how chubby addy was at 18 months!) & how she was mooching a snack & yes, she is a porker. i was about ready to say something along the lines of 'she is an adorable little girl, why are you making her feel bad about herself already?' & thus starting a mama fight...

then adeline seemed to pick up on the situation. seriously. kids just seem to be able to read people...better than most adults, it seems. adeline kindly takes a handful of her snack, something she loves & doesn't easily share with just anyone, & hands it to the other girl. & then she smiles at her & laughs & twirls around & the other girl is just all giggles. then the mom looks at me like 'do something! take the cracker away!' & i just said 'oh they're just trader joe's cat cookies. she'll love it, my daughter eats them all day some times!' which seemed to disarm her a bit & she smiled back & said 'i'm sorry she's taking her food' & i replied that 'adeline was wanting to share with her' etc etc.

my heart is just breaking for this little girl. i hope the mom maybe comes across this article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030201756.html

i dunno, just seems like there's other more important things to worry about than what your average size toddler girl snacks on & when she eats & how you treat her when she's merely hungry. i understand obesity in children is now a problem in this country...but there is a fine line between helping your children eat healthier foods & controlling what they eat to the extent that a parent/caregiver makes a wee toddler feel bad about his or her body & a natural need to snack.

*sigh*

on a completely different topic...amelia has adapted quickly & wonderfully to a schedule. i think it took all of, oh 2 days, for her to become a rigid 10 & 2 napper. *SIGH* how is it that the non-daily-structured parent stays at home with the very daily structured children while the daily-structured parent goes to work? :o) i'm just bemoaning the fact that as shown by millie last thursday at the rec center...she know only wants to sleep in the car going at high speed, or in a crib...confining me to this house again between the hours of 10-11:30 & then again at 2-3:30/4. at least spring is on the way to get addy & i outdoors while she's napping. this stage of an older baby is fun with all that she will be learning...but frustrating b/c i am at home nearly every day now until she drops her morning nap (if she follows in addy's footsteps, could be around the 1 year; so only 5 months of this...oh my).

also: i have taken down one paper snowflake from the window & today plan to take down another. ***remember*** slow is the key so as not to disturb the snow gods & goddesses from their slumber...ohio is well known for spring blizzards. just a year ago last week we had 20 inches of snow in one weekend! & in april 2 years ago, there was also a blizzard (the weekend of my sister in law's baby shower; i remember it well, we were visiting from boise & not very prepared for the snow & cold).

wes & i cleaned up & he chose to expand most flower & garden & herb beds last weekend. we have some return herbs, yea! & wes' hops are already sprouting...& many of his seeds have germinated & he is ever so excited. but he for sure over planted in case some don't survive...so we may have many many seedlings to get rid of soon. he is trying to figure out how to share this amazing & detailed excel spreadsheet he created for seeds & planting. seriously, it's totally geeked out. but i love my engineer, seed & garden excel spreadsheet & all.