Saturday, January 5, 2013
Once upon a time, my toddler would eat anything I put on his plate. Not anymore.
When he first started eating solids, Sweet G was a champion of nutrition. He’d eat quinoa, mushrooms, plain yogurt. He’d even ask for a second serving of pureed prunes. He loved vegetables so much that the hub and I used to joke about the blue ribbons he’d win in steamed broccoli eating contests. But, by the time his second birthday came around, his food preferences were altogether different. He demanded cookies and candy. At his second birthday party, we found him alone in the kitchen with his face in the cake. It’s all our fault. Though the hub and I limited his sugar intake until his first birthday, we quickly fell into the habit of giving him treats. Like most parents, we didn’t see the harm in giving him a lollipop during a long …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Greed, instead of thankfulness, seemed to be a theme this Thanksgiving.
Each year, during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I envision my family sitting around a big table feasting on turkey and pie as we take turns giving thanks. To my dismay, however, that vision has never been fully realized. None of the Thanksgiving feasts I’ve been part of—even the ones I’ve hosted—have featured a slow, deliberate, public giving of thanks. In fact, as my husband and I made our rounds with our kids visiting family and friends this year, I noticed that many of the conversations ignored thankfulness and, instead, focused on greed. I want, I want, I want At our first stop, the children recited—with the skill of expert orators—long Christmas wish lists. When my sister expressed amazement at the length and detail of the …
Saturday, July 28, 2012
My son wanted a sparkly, pink and purple, cupcake-shaped backpack, and I was tempted to let him have it.
Not too long ago, my sister-in-law started a conversation by expressing frustration over her daughter’s first trip to the dentist. Already anxious to take my son, who’s due for his first visit, I expected to hear a tale full of kicking, screaming, maybe even biting. But, to my—and my sister-in-law’s—surprise, the appointment actually went off without a hitch. Three-year-old Sylvia allowed the dental team to examine, floss, and clean her teeth without any fuss. Tantrum avoided. Challenge met. Rite of passage reached. But, just when my sister-in-law thought she was in the clear, Sylvia’s newly widened world closed in on her a little when the hygienist offered her a new toothbrush. Though there was a rainbow of colors to choose from, Sylvia …
Saturday, April 28, 2012
The women in my life, including a Brighton business owner, teach me a lesson in how to dress.
I wear sweatpants in public on weekdays. They’re typically tattered, ordinarily stained, and only occasionally (every three days or so) freshly laundered. But they’re always comfy and easy—paired with a t-shirt, they’re the perfect uniform for a mom. I hardly thought my attire offended anyone until recently, when a Brighton business owner called me on it. The Story Dressed in my beloved sweatpants and toting two children, I’d gone into her store in search of a birthday present. That’s imprecise. To be fair, I stumbled into her store frenetic and inarticulate after walking a half mile through cold wind and drizzle at a wide-eyed, easily distracted two-year-old’s pace (What’s this? Oooh, a rock! Look! Another rock! What’s this? Oooh, a leaf…
Jessica Nunez
1:56 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
"Can I have just one marshmallow?" So funny! My daughter is approaching her second birthday, and I also see an increase in her appetite for sweets. It's hard when they get older and remember not only that there are cookies in the house, but also where they are! I was also debating taking sugar out of the house completely but I don't think I'd be able to handle that myself :) I'm interested in … more ›