5 Extra Years?

Yesterday I found this video, on the How To Be A Dad site. While I already try my best to keep sugary and processed foods out of my kid’s diet, I was a little teary eyed when I watched this… When I was growing up my parents gave us the healthier foods. We had wheat bread and grape nuts cereal, not white bread and cocoa puffs (even though I would have LOVED that). Sugar and sweets were for special occasions. We ate fast food as a treat… maybe twice a month? I’m trying my best to now teach my kiddo how to eat well. Gardening has been great for this! My kid hates spinach in the house, but actually EATS the spinach off the plant outside. Silly, but awesome. Watching this video made me feel like I am doing the right thing by limiting her processed and sugar intake. Check out the video if you’d like, and share it if you feel like it’s something that is important to you too.

Note: I know this is not true for every kid, but I feel like we should be more aware of what’s going in our kiddo’s belly’s. This vid is a nice little reminder.

And, since this post got all serious… how about a silly work out video from my kid? She just started doing a “work out” randomly… so I recorded it. Of course.

– Chelsey

// 5 Extra Years clip and image via: Designed To Move //

Categories: food


26 comments

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  • sundaymorningsugar on said:

    I love the kid who would get more hamsters. And the young man who wants to be the boss of all the chipmunks. A noble goal indeed. Hilarious!

  • Becky on said:

    While I do agree that people should eat healthy and be active and encourage their kids to do the same, I hate the hype that's been brought up with this "fact". This idea was apparently taken from an *opinion piece* in a journal in 2005 and had no statistical evidence to support the claim at all, but now the media has taken it as fact and it's circulating. US government statistics have actually shown that life expectancy has gone from 70.8 years in 1970 to 77.8 years in 2005, so it's more likely that kids in American today can expect to live 7 years longer than their parents, not 5 years less.

  • Roxana on said:

    this is really sad! i had no idea. more reason to encourage the little to e active and eat healthy. still so sad.

  • OT and ET on said:

    Draaaag! no, just kidding, i had no idea about this statistic and it really sucks. we eat 90% organic at home but i'm embarrassed to say that the other 10% is take out pizza and chicken and apple fries from all those fast places that sell chicken and apple fries :/ there's so much talk of genetically modified ingredients, and arsenic rice, and all this other shiz. It's just horrifying and I hate it. Organic makes me feel like I'm doing something good for my kiddo and standing up to evil corporations all at the same time! And your little Olivia Newton John is super duper cute, by the way. 🙂

    • The Paper Mama on said:

      I really think it's ok to eat fast food/sugar/whatever on occasion. We LOVE pizza here, and I'm obsessed with fried chicken…. but, it's in moderation. Like you, about 10% of the time. WHICH makes it even tastier! Yeees.

  • Trish on said:

    That 5 more years video seriously made my day! "I would have more hamsters" hahahaha! Pretty sad in the end though huh? I sent it to all of my coworkers too. Scary stuff!
    And what a little cutie your little one is.
    Trish
    http://www.jellybonesblog.blogspot.com

  • Gina_AcuteDesigns on said:

    We ate different as kids too. We rarely had fast food and sugary treats. And my mom wasn't a "health food nut" or anything.
    I think people today eat too much processed foods and a lot of those foods didn't exist 20+ years. I don't have kids and I am sure
    at times it is easier to just feed your kid whatever. But, I don't eat a lot of processed foods, so I hope I won't let a future child do so either!

    • The Paper Mama on said:

      My only weakness: fried chicken. And, sometimes chocolate. 😉

  • Miranda (Not Super...Just Mom) on said:

    I took Joshua on a walk the other day. He loved it. I feel like more walks are in our future now that it’s not so hot here. I want him to grow up with healthier habits than I currently have, which means changing my current habits.

  • lifeislovee on said:

    I try to eat more natural and work out for my own health, but also so that my body is super healthy when we decide to have children. I'd like for my kids healthy eating to start at conception:) I'm LOVING that our diet and exercise habbits are being aknowlaged in this country and that there is a total healthy movement happening! I have faith that in time, this movement will keep growing and by the time we have grandchildren there will be much healthier affordable options out there for people and that we will effect the business of highly processed foods in a big way.

    Those push up's are awesome! Too cute!

    • The Paper Mama on said:

      We do treats for special occasions, but I think it's just important to start the healthy habits early. 🙂

  • sandrakohlmann on said:

    I've been thinking about what you wrote about R only eating spinach right from the plant. Have you thought about not putting it on her plate, when it's part of the meal? My daughter Clarissa loves tomatoes, but not if they're on the plate served to her at meal. If she sits down at the table and sees them on everybody else's plate, but not hers, then she begs for them and gobbles them right up. Just a thought.

    • The Paper Mama on said:

      Sadly, she's happier when there are no veggies on her plate (and only on ours). BUT, she does love broccoli. Well, the broccoli has to have garlic on it. Weirdo. 😉

  • sandrakohlmann on said:

    She totally slays me! When she started rolling her arms and lifting her legs, I could not stop laughing. My girls are in the midst of a pair of massive tantrums. This video is just what I needed!

    • The Paper Mama on said:

      Hee, I'm glad it made you smile! I should just watch that clip anytime she's melting down. 😉

  • skye on said:

    My daughter is 2 and we are very strict about not giving her any fruit juice, anything with artificial colors or flavors in it, high fructose corn syrup, and other un-needed chemicals. We also have only organic milks, chicken & beef. We became very aware of this whole topic before she was born, and feel very strongly about it. She is to the point now, when offered a cookie, she will put it down and ask for fruit. I think there is a lot of awareness out there, and with the farmers markets all popping up everywhere, and organic markets, it is helping the cause. But it comes down to the parents. We have to make the effort. My husband and I watched a series on HBO recently – It was about overweight children and the stats were just alarming. Something like one in every ten children gets juvenile diabetes and have heart issues. That is scary!!! Good post- good awareness video. I think I might borrow this video for a future post on my blog. Thanks for the motivation.

  • Marissa on said:

    Her workout is too cute! Also, it makes me sad that so many people don’t even think about what they’re putting into their kids’ bodies.

  • Kelsey on said:

    She must have gotten that from me, 'cause that's EXACTLY what I look like when I exercise.

    • The Paper Mama on said:

      I asked her if Braedon works out. She said, "Braedon works out?" So, it must be you. 😉

  • kat9365 on said:

    haha I love that she's working out so early on

    • The Paper Mama on said:

      I have no idea where it came from. She's so silly.

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