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A Merry Life

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Hospital Bills + Kids And Calories

April 2, 2010 by Mary

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details.

Tomorrow is my first Saturday guest here, so today I’ve got lots of thoughts to share.

A MERRY WORKOUT PLEDGE

The A Merry Workout Pledge was great. It’s still not totally finished as I think a couple more people are doing it today and this weekend. But so far we hit 145 miles. That’s a lot of miles I wasn’t expecting! Once again, thank you. I’m really proud of this community! We are definitely doing it again at the end of the month! More details on that later. :)

HOLY HOSPITAL BILLS, BATMAN!

Last night I mentioned on Twitter that I got my hospital bill. Since it was an unexpected expense it’s not one that I can easily pay. I’m already strapped trying to save money for the New Zealand move, pay my bills, and help my family at the same time. So the hospital bill didn’t make me happy. What was worse is that two days after I was in the hospital the healthcare bill was signed into law which put me back on my mom’s health insurance plan.  I have insurance again and I’m very grateful, as obviously this was one of the main reasons why I was losing weight. Being rejected for health insurance because of my weight was one of the most crushing experiences of my life and a real eye opener to the importance of becoming healthy.  I feel a lot better now that I’m covered, but it doesn’t help me with the bill I now have.

On Twitter someone asked about giving donations. I can’t make myself do donations. I just can’t, even though I know some of you want to help me. But I do need some help with this, so I can give you something in return for your help. I’ve decided to open up rotating 125 x 125  advertising spots for $15/month in my sidebar for anyone who wants to help me. That way you get something in return and it’s not just charity. If you are interested in grabbing a spot to help me out, send me an email!

Additionally, my ebook is finished and going to come out next Tuesday. Just so you aren’t shocked when it launches, it’s going to be $27. You can buy that to support me as well as learn a ton about blogging. It’s over 60 pages long and full of freaking awesome information, if I don’t say so myself. There will be more details about that next week, but I just wanted to let you know it is finally coming.

Sorry for all this money talk. It’s on my mind, you know? It’s the one thing that is keeping me stressed right now. And as you know, stress isn’t good for weight loss. =\

KIDS AND CALORIES

Last night I was babysitting two kids for a few hours. The youngest is a girl who is 6 years old (her 6th birthday is today). I adore this kid, she is really great, but one thing happened that threw me off guard – she starting talking about calories. She told me she was hungry (despite having just eaten) and wanted something to eat. She went in the kitchen, grabbed a slice of white bread and came back saying, “I’m going to eat bread. It’s healthy. Not a lot of calories.” Chomp chomp chomp, she ate her bread slice and was a happy kid.

The whole thing kind of shocked me. I mean, I’m not the best at hearing everything people say but I know she said the word calories. For some reason I don’t expect 6 year olds to know about things like calories. Healthy food? Yeah. I think it’s great if parents teach them that things they eat are healthy and will give them energy to play and feel good. But talking about calories? At age 6? That just can’t be good, can it? Kids don’t need to be on diets or obsessing over calories. They need to eat balanced diets. They need to not worry about the things grown ups worry about. At least that’s my thoughts on the situations.

I want to know yours. I’m obviously not a parent yet but many of you are. Do you talk to your kids about calories? Or about eating healthy foods? How does one approach the idea of teaching your kids to eat well without setting them up to be a chronic dieter or disordered eater?

Filed Under: Thoughts Tagged With: calories, children, kids, money


« Why Being Boring Is A Good Thing For Weight Loss
Saturday Guest: Caitlin’s OMG Moment »

Comments

  1. Lauren says

    April 2, 2010 at 10:33 am

    I’ve been pretty gung-ho about the school lunch thing lately. The Child Nutrition Act is up for reauthorization this year. Did you know that (yes, it’s been proven, check USA Today) meat that’s used in schools is the meat that was rejected by fast food companies? Our kids are literally eating worse than McDonalds every day in school lunches. It’s kind of disgusting. I posted about it a while back, I’d urge you all to get involved. There is a lot of legislation going on this year to this effect. Write your Congressman!

    More to your point, I think 6 is a little to young to be worried about calories specifically, but I do love that this kid has a sense of what is good food and what is bad food. Not that white bread is all that great, but at least she didn’t go for a stack of cookies! I could imagine an inquisitive 6 year old asking her mom why one thing is healthier than another, and if you wanted to be honest with the kid it’d be impossible to not talk about calories. I could also imagine said-precocious-6-year-old becoming briefly obsessed with the concept, because that’s what 6 year olds do, but I don’t think it speaks that ill of her future as long as it doesn’t become chronic. Now if she’s still obsessed with calories in 6 months, then I’d worry, but that’s how kids learn really.
    .-= Lauren´s last blog ..When did This Happen? The School Lunch Project =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:04 pm

      Yeah, I’ve been reading more about it more lately. And then Jamie Oliver comes over and I’m fascinated by his show and how little kids know about real food. I know that I was the same way when I was that age though, and we all know what happened to me!

      I agree sortof. I think it’s good that she is thinking about “healthy food” and all. I just don’t know about calories. I guess kids are really inquisitive and ask questions about EVERYTHING so it’s likely that it was mentioned and she asked about it.

  2. Liz says

    April 2, 2010 at 10:51 am

    That’s a pretty frightening stories. Kids should NOT be worrying about calories.

    I don’t have kids, but I know that certain comments my mom said growing up affected me negatively. My aunt never said one negative thing about her own weight in front of my cousin and I think that has contributed to my cousin’s high self esteem. I plan on eating healthy and exercising, but never talking about trying to lose weight or anything negative about my body in front of them. I will definitely teach them about eating healthy foods, but emphasizing health NOT weight.

    This is all IF I have kids of course..
    .-= Liz´s last blog ..Greens =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:05 pm

      Certain comments from parents have lasting affects. Parenting is hard. =\

  3. Anonymous Fat Girl says

    April 2, 2010 at 10:56 am

    What!? I have three kids ages 9, 7, & 4 and no I do NOT talk to them about calories. What I do try and do is impress upon them the difference between good and bad choices and what healthy whole foods are. I’m curious if this little cutie you were babysitting just happened to over hear what mom or dad had conversed about and was kind of repeating it. My kids do that a lot, even though they have no clue what they are talking about most of the time! Often they will try and use what they have overheard in a sentence but the context is way off or totally wrong. LOL
    .-= Anonymous Fat Girl´s last blog ..Making fitness FUN & a family event =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:07 pm

      That is one thing I think she may have been doing – just repeating something she heard. If her mom or aunt or anyone around her was dieting and she overheard talk about calories she just might be repeating what she heard like she knows what it means when really she doesn’t. That’s probably highly likely because I know kids do that a lot.

  4. mac says

    April 2, 2010 at 10:57 am

    My 5 year old daughter knows that calories give us energy, but that’s it. We try to stress good eating habits such as eating foods that “make our bodies strong” as opposed to stressing some of the bad things about junk food and getting fat. I think our efforts are paying off, but only time will tell. We can only hope that she learns by our examples, which thankfully, have improved as she’s gotten older.
    .-= mac´s last blog ..Weightloss Details: Exercise =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:07 pm

      I think that kids learn by example the most. So the fact that you are setting a good example is great.

  5. Sagan says

    April 2, 2010 at 11:39 am

    I don’t think I knew what a calorie was until I was in my teens… *shudder* that scares me that a seven-year-old is thinking about those things (and not realizing that white bread isn’t healthy, anyways… I’m all for teaching kids about health and the importance of it, but calories are NOT necessary to teach).

    Also, I HEAR you on the money woes. I hope my budgeting mini-series will help you!
    .-= Sagan´s last blog ..The Thirty Days of Yoga Challenge =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:09 pm

      Yeah I don’t think I knew what a calorie was until I was older either. And the real meaning of it? Not until I was even older.

      Hehe, I don’t have budgeting or saving issues personally, but I have a lot of outside circumstances that make it hard for me to get anywhere. And medical bills don’t help at all!

  6. Erin says

    April 2, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    My son will be 6 next week. I’m curious about this little girl, though. What kind of food is in the cupboards? Do her parents(parent?) encourage healthy foods or not? I read “white bread” and literally gasped. My son eats whole wheat or multigrain bread, nothing else. I think as parents we do the best we can, and hope it sticks. Healthy eating is not exempt from this.

    What I do with my son is simple – we talk about foods that are “healthy” and “good for your body.” He knows that fruit snacks, for example, really do not have any fruit in them, and that a healthier choice would be to have a banana, or applesauce. I break nutrition down into the simplest terms possible, so that he can wrap his brain around it. Kids are literal thinkers, the ability to think in abstract comes much later than 6 years old. I think you have to teach overall health instead of terms like calories, amino acids, complex carbs, etc.
    .-= Erin´s last blog ..Emotional Garbage =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:01 pm

      I honestly don’t know anything about her home life so I can’t tell you, nor would I really since it’s not my place. I felt kind of weird mentioning it in the first place, but I did because it seemed so crazy.

      Funny that you gasped over white bread. I don’t think eating white bread is the issue at all and definitely not the worst thing in the world.

      That seems like you handle things with your kid well!

  7. barry says

    April 2, 2010 at 12:25 pm

    My kids are young too and the thought has entered my mind about how to approach this topic. You want them to know but not make it an issue. Its kind of like the subject of talking with strangers, you want to give enough information but not overdo it.
    .-= barry´s last blog ..How to Maintain Healthy Eating Habits =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:11 pm

      Exactly. Haha I didn’t even think about how similar it was to talking about these things with strangers.

  8. Alison says

    April 2, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    I’m looking forward to your ebook Merry sounds interesting.

    As to the six year old, six year olds obsess about things for a couple of weeks, if in 6 months she’s still concerned about calories there is probably a bigger issue. But I bet she heard something and asked and was told what calories are and that mommy was watching them or something, and being a typical six year old tried to emulate mom. The fact that she has been taught white bread is good for her is far scarier. I’d rather see her mom teach her good foods that will nourish not just her need for calories (energy) but her need for a range of nutrients.
    .-= Alison´s last blog ..I got Lost in Lost today… March 30th Food and Exercise Journal =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:13 pm

      It is. :)

      I don’t think she necessarily thought that white bread was good for her, and I highly doubt she has been taught that. For all I know she just watched a commercial for Wonder Bread or something and thought it was healthy. Have you seen how commercials try to sell completely unhealthy stuff (like NUTELLA) as “healthy”?

  9. Diana says

    April 2, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    That’s so weird. And sad honestly.
    She probably heard her mother talk about that, which also worries me because this is what we’re teaching our kids. To worry about calories and appearance, etc. I think it’s extremely important to talk about healthy foods and what they should eat most of the time and that treats are treats because they shouldn’t be eaten everyday/with every meal. But calories… Ugh.

    Also, I’m sorry to hear about the hospital bills.. I hope everything works out!
    .-= Diana´s last blog ..A whole lotta food. And other stuff. =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:15 pm

      We are all teaching kids this. Lauren made the point earlier about school lunches. And then there is tv where calories and diets are discussed all the time in shows and commercials. Kids don’t even have to have parents dieting to know what it is.

      Thanks Diana!

  10. Heather says

    April 2, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    I’d love to do an ad! Let me know what months you have available still?
    .-= Heather´s last blog ..Review: 10 Minute Solution Workout =-.

    • Mary says

      April 2, 2010 at 2:15 pm

      I’ll email you! :)

  11. Jen says

    April 2, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    With my children, we talk a lot about eating food that makes us strong and gives us energy. I have one picky eater, who does eat some “strong” food, and surprises me every once in a while by actually eating a vegetable–I keep putting them on his plate. We do talk about how treats and sweets do not make us strong, and that eating one a few times a week is OK, but that eating a lot of these is bad for our bodies. This is what works for our family. Great question.
    .-= Jen´s last blog ..Rambling Goals — April 2010 =-.

    • Mary says

      April 3, 2010 at 9:30 am

      That sounds very cool. I’ve wondered about how to deal with picky eaters. Even though I was one as a child, I still wonder about the best way to go about that.

  12. KC says

    April 2, 2010 at 1:56 pm

    I would say the girl “knew” about calories from overhearing a parent or other adult in her life. My 6yo nephew is always spouting off about eating healthy, how we (my mom and I) need to lose weight, and how he doesn’t want to get fat. He’s just regurgitating what he hears his mother say. He doesn’t have a true understanding of what calories, diets and losing weight means. So I would hope that the girl you’re talking about is just repeating what she’s heard from elsewhere and doesn’t really understand exactly what she said. I hope…
    .-= KC´s last blog ..4/1 Food & Activity =-.

    • Mary says

      April 3, 2010 at 9:36 am

      Yeah, I’m starting to think that’s the case. She spends a lot of time around adult women and her mom, so it’s more than likely one of them was talking about it.

  13. merri says

    April 2, 2010 at 4:19 pm

    I stress about money ALL THE TIME. I hope you will be able to work out a good payment plan with the hospital.
    When my 18 yr old cousin was around 6 or 7, she had some pretty scary ideas about food. She would talk about not wanting to eat so she could be skinny. She was very skinny and still is. I don’t think that came from my aunt, because my aunt hadn’t done the whole dieting thing since her late teens/early 20s, and had stopped way before she had my cousin. It may have inadvertently come from me, although I didn’t see my cousin much at that time. It really stuck in my head and worried me a lot. She seems to have grown up ok although I never have seen her eat much. Kids can be very impressionable so we have to be careful..
    I do think its important to expose kids early on to healthy foods so they can develop a taste for them so they actually want to eat them, and when they to through their picky stages, their foods they eat may just include something good for you.
    .-= merri´s last blog ..Love Walked In: A book to Check Out =-.

    • Mary says

      April 3, 2010 at 9:38 am

      I HATE stressing about money, but when you’ve got bills and not enough money it’s impossible not to. :( So I’ve spent too much time this week being stressed out.

      That is kind of scary. Kids are crazy impressionable, and they can pick up ideas from outside just their parents. I guess parents have to really push the good ideas.

  14. Anthony Heavy2Healthy says

    April 2, 2010 at 4:28 pm

    I’m not a parent either, but I totally agree with you.
    If I did have kids, I would encourage being active, not talk about eating less calories. That’s not fun. Being active and in sports or outside running around the house playing, is!
    .-= Anthony Heavy2Healthy´s last blog ..There already is a fat tax. =-.

  15. Lisa says

    April 2, 2010 at 4:57 pm

    I don’t have kids yet, but I definitely don’t want them to grow up with the foods issues I had. My mom (and Grandma) were always dieting, or trying to lose weight and my mom in particular was very critical of my weight and what I ate. I definitely developed food issues from her controlling habits. There was never anything “good” (ie junk food) in the house so I would buy my own and hoard it. Not good. I’d sneak extra snacks too. I want my future kids to have a healthy relationship with food.
    .-= Lisa´s last blog ..Oikos Update =-.

    • Mary says

      April 3, 2010 at 9:48 am

      Yeah, I hope any future kids I have only have a healthy relationship with food. I’d hate to pass on the issues I had.

  16. Lisa says

    April 2, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    My 8yo girl probably knows about calories, she asks questions about everything and I try and give her straight answers. My kids (all 5 of them) have seen my journey from fat to thinner, so of course they ask questions, know what I’m eating. The 8yo is the one I have to explain that its okay if I eat chocolate (she will tell me I shouldn’t be eating it because it is “bad” food), its just not okay if I eat it all the time, we have lots of talks about balance and realistic eating – hopefully it gets through! My 14yo boy is a health nut and is always nagging me about drinking Diet Coke, which of course is no calories, but he is smart enough to know that it is still bad LOL

    It’s a hard one, I think scientifically, as in you eat calories, you burn calories, they’re an important part of keeping the body going and using them “right” is important as well, isn’t a bad thing for any kid to learn, no matter what their age … but I’d hate to see them obsessing about it.

    As for the money thing, we’ve been through some bad times financially and if I’ve learnt anything over those years, its that it always works out … its amazing how many times we’ve been at rock bottom only to find that some how, some way the money we need comes in from somewhere :)
    .-= Lisa´s last blog ..First trip out with my new toy =-.

  17. Julie says

    April 2, 2010 at 7:13 pm

    We focus on eating healthy foods in our home without a heavy emphasis on calories. My son looks at the labels for things like “whole wheat,” “low fat,” and “sugar free.” Just lately he’s started pointing out the things that have “zero calories.” He’s 11… so not as young as the girl you were babysitting, but still it concerns me that he’s worried about calories.

  18. Jess says

    April 2, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    I don’t think I’d teach my kids about calories until about middle school. I want them to go out and play, exercise, run, be children and eat lots and lots of veggies. If my future kid doesn’t eat vegetables, I’m going Terminator on them. That’s how my mom did it, and it works. I will eat every vegetable (and thing) out there.

    But I mean, as long as she’s not getting an eating disorder and she’s aware of healthy choices, I think it’s great, although she’s misinformed about bread. Silly kids.
    .-= Jess´s last blog ..Day 60: Weekend Warriors =-.

  19. Marshmallow says

    April 2, 2010 at 9:18 pm

    Well, I was put on my first diet when I was 7, so I was constantly being told that I Can’t Have This and I Can’t Have That because I was the fat one. It doesn’t surprise me at all that kids are talking about calories at that age, and given the way that society’s tracking with what we’ve been hearing about newborns being put on diets for being too chubby, I reckon we should expect to see and hear more of it.
    .-= Marshmallow´s last blog ..Mad Marshy: Stop Eating Protein Bars =-.

  20. Cathy says

    April 3, 2010 at 2:48 am

    Wow, a six year old talking about calories? That can’t be good. I’m not a parent, but I always thought leading by example was the best way to educate kids by letting them know which food is ‘good for me’ and which food is ‘a treat occasionally’.
    .-= Cathy´s last blog ..Oh, I guess I am getting better =-.

  21. Chad says

    April 3, 2010 at 7:22 am

    Years ago, I was babysitting this family’s kids, and the little girl, who was about five or six at the time, wouldn’t eat the treat their mom had left for them. When I asked her why, she told me she was on a diet. (Shocking at that age, right?) Well, a couple of hours later, I saw her wander over to the refrigerator and take out the treat. I jokingly said, “Hey, I thought you were on a diet!” Her response: “I’m on TWO diets!!!” Priceless.
    .-= Chad´s last blog ..Reviewing Devin Alexander’s I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fattening! =-.

  22. Rob Dyess says

    April 3, 2010 at 11:00 am

    As the Dad of two boys under 5 years old…. I worry about the messages that I am sending them…. by my ACTIONS!!

    That is much more importaint as far as I am concerned. What they see me do, they will do. I try to let them see me active and not eating crap!!

    Thanks Mary!! I will buy your book. Let us know when it is out!!!
    .-= Rob Dyess´s last blog ..New!!! BMI calculator!! =-.

  23. heather says

    April 5, 2010 at 2:11 pm

    I have 3 kids that eat healthy!!! My kids are all normal weight for there age and height. I however am heavy, my kids of course tell me I look fine. Ha Ha… My biggest fans. Im not saying that they don’t eat junk on occasion… I guess just keeping my kids active and letting them make their own decisions has worked for us. I rarely have to tell my kids to abstain from eating. I would serve healthy meals including fruit, veggies and protein. When they were little they would ask for things like donuts, candy, ice cream etc. I would ask them if they wanted the healthier alternative like fruit, boiled eggs, etc. if not , they would eat the bad choice but stay very active. We have told our kids that it is too close to dinner to be snacking but if they want a piece of fruit or something… fine. We do not talk about calories, we do not have dessert readily available after dinners and we don’t have a clean your plate mentality. We do however want the kids to try new foods and eat a few bites of everything. If they are still hungry or need something before bed they usually grab a yogurt or bowl of cereal. We keep cookies, popsicles, chips, in the pantry, as well as granola bars, tons of fruit, yogurt, popcorn, nuts, etc…. The friends that I have that talk calories or limit snacks… like lock up the ding dongs, honey buns or cookies, have kids that overeat, beg for dessert or pig out when at friends … I have had kids that come visit and try to binge at my house because my kids don’t have limits. They are on such a short leash in their home that they can’t make their own decisions . My kids eat healthy and in moderation. Because they choose to! I guess we’ve done something right.

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