I assume all Mothers have the best of intentions; I know
that I certainly do. As an older mom I have been allowed more time on the Earth
to bear witness to many other Mothers, granting me the opportunity to formulate
an infinite amount of opinions of how I would do things. So here I am in my
middle years, knowing without a doubt what the best food options are for my
toddler.
I made sure that we did not feed Beny solid foods too early,
I wanted to ensure that her digestive system was healthily formed and practiced
in the digestive process. When ready for solid foods I made sure that she was
fed only single food items for a minimum of five days to minimize food allergies
or at least bear witness to the cause of a food allergy. She didn’t have cows
milk until she was 14 months old, no lactose intolerance for my little girl. I
measured (even if most of the time it was mental calculations) the grams of
protein vs. complex carbohydrates at each meal. Simple carbohydrates were kept
at a minimum for the first fifteen months, and it was pretty limited to
Cheerios and nutritious whole grain baby cereal. I vowed I would never feed her fast food, french
fries or any other unhealthy food item.
What I have to come to learn is that toddlers’ are a
persnickety breed. Their favorite food choice changes daily, literally, and
leftovers are not an option at least not for my little Peanut.
Our Toddlers meal options are like a selection of various
pizzas. There is the very healthy all veggie pizza made with whole grain flat
bread (minimizing those nasty carbs). I actually do feed her only veggie meals,
such as garbanzo beans with a mixed vegetable side, or a homemade (by Grammy) pinto
bean soup with slices of fresh carrots – it’s healthy and she likes it. Of
course there are the evil fat filled mouth-watering pepperoni pizzas with the
melted cheese dripping over its side. Bad mother that I am she has had that for
dinner also, because it was what we (the adults) are having and because it was
easy. Of course, there are the middle of the road pizzas with minimal cheese,
chicken, vegies and a side salad. That is more the norm in our household, but,
we have to work at it to keep the meal balanced.
If life never got in the way, and if I were June Cleaver or
Carol Brady (at least she had a housekeeper) I would grow my own vegetables,
cook them with only healthy oils and fresh herbs, all while living in a
preservative sugar-free household. But, sadly I am not, I am me; a Mother that
loves to work, a Mother with other interests, a Mother that requires alone time
or I get persnickety, a Mother that really does not enjoy housework. A Mother
that knows better but doesn’t always do better because I have other things to do.
Basically, that is the crux of it, isn’t’ it? I want my
daughters to grow up to be their own person, and not live up to any ideal
standard of perceived perfection. I just want them to try and do the best they
can. However, I want them to love endlessly, respect humanity and Mother Earth,
respect themselves, honor the God or Goddess (as they choose) and know that no
man is perfect on Earth. I want them to know that our imperfections are what
make us all equally perfect.
© Yvonne
B. Pérez and The Life and Confessions of an Older Mother, 2014. Unauthorized
use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission
from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links
may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Yvonne B. Pérez
and The Life and Confessions of an Older Mother with appropriate and
specific direction to the original content.
