Above are photos of what American children are becoming. On the left, you see an old photo of children with rickets. RICKETS for goodness sakes! It is an old photo because rickets is ridiculously easy to prevent. Easy, unless of course, you are a parent who allows your child to run the household instead of the other way around.
A medical lesson in rickets: Rickets is a softening of the bones in children potentially leading to fractures and deformity. Rickets is among the most frequent childhood diseases in many developing countries. The predominant cause is a vitamin D deficiency, but lack of adequate calcium in the diet may also lead to rickets. Although it can occur in adults, the majority of cases occur in children suffering from severe malnutrition, usually resulting from famine or starvation during the early stages of childhood. (copied from Wikipedia)
Now, with this in mind, are you shocked that American children are getting rickets? Do you know why American children are getting rickets? Lack of milk and sunlight. Please pause whilst I take another DEEP breath.
Parents, let's wake up, here. I know that soda is tastier than milk for the average child. I know that sitting in front of a screen is more fun than going outside for some children. But what all of this basically boils down to is that parents today would rather indulge their children's every whim than hear them whine and cry that they are not getting what they want. It's actually easier for YOU to let them do what they want to do instead of taking them to task and PARENTING.
That is also causing the second problem, seen in the photo on the right.
American children are becoming so obese and unhealthy that the AMA just approved cholesterol-lowering medication for kids as young as eight. If your child is eight years old and has high cholesterol, maybe you need to get your own lazy tail in the kitchen and cook a nutritious meal rather than feed Dick and Jane via a drive through 4 nights a week. I mean, really.
Here is the prescription: 2 hours of TV a day (and that is generous by some standards), play outside for at least an hour (put sunscreen on after the first 15 or so minutes, if that makes you feel better), and turn in those fast-food bags for home-cooked, nutritous meals. You may actually feel better too.
And what to do when little Dick and Jane whine and cry? Well, just think of it this way: you will be getting them ready for the big, bad world. A world where Mommy is not going to be there to make sure it's all sunshine and roses, chocolate cake and soda fountains. Then, perhaps when your children are working FOR my children, they won't be surprised when mine fire your lazy, whiny, ill-equipped adult children.
Think about that as you lay-with-your-kids-until-they-fall-asleep-because-they-can't-get-to-sleep-unless-you-do tonight.
2 comments:
AMEN, AMEN! I wish we could tell those parents with those obese kids that they are actually killing their child or children. It is so hard sometimes to keep the mouth shut.
You are the best!
although I am sure god is proud of you...I'm going to miss the swearing LOL. This post could have really called for it.
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