Enabling obesity in your children

This is very likely going to spark some conversation...some good. Some bad. But hell, I'm going to throw caution to the wind and post it anyway.

I don't like to point the finger at other moms. I feel like 99% of the time, we're all just trying to do what's best for our kids - attempting to figure out this thing called motherhood - and we should all just support each other. But there are several things I can't tolerate: abuse (obviously), laziness and utter ignorance. Any one of these gets me irritated, but put them on a combo platter and you've got me heated. This might irritate some of you...you've been warned. If you are prickly about stuff in general, you may be better off playing around on Facebook.

Gabriel, Jonas and I were at the mall recently so I could return a couple of things I had purchased from Macy's (remember when I got ambushed nursing in the bathroom?). He, of course, wanted to ride the little quarter rides that are sprinkled down the hallways. I swear those things were not created with parents in mind.

Anyway, we were sitting next to a Cinnabon while Gabriel was playing on the rides. As I'm watching him, I'm vaguely listening to the order of a woman there with her two children. She pays and then hands over a set of 3 minibons (um, one alone packs 339 calories and 13g of fat) and one (HUGE) iced coffee to her already very chubby maybe...6 year-old? Apparently she hasn't heard about that epidemic called childhood obesity or you know, moderation.

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I'll admit two things: 1. we are extremely lucky that Gabriel won't tell us no to eating anything, although some things take a lot more coercion than others, and 2. he doesn't have the world's greatest diet either. However, we have made a very active effort to ensure that his diet is balanced, he takes in enough fruits and veggies, and that he doesn't exist solely on a diet of candy, cookies and soda. I do allow all three things on an extremely limited basis, depending on what else he's eaten that day.

I'm not perfect. Nobody is.

Now, I realize that this all sounds mean. I know that's it's judgmental and rude and I'm bitching about something that doesn't really affect me. But it definitely affects that child. At the rate he's probably going, he might have diabetes by 12, let alone the social judgement that comes along with being overweight. Kids are absolutely ruthless. In my eyes, she has served up an equally offensive plate of all 3 of the aforementioned things I can not tolerate.

I'm not trying to say I'm better than this mother. Or any mother, really. I have my faults and sometimes I let Gabriel stay up too late or have an extra cookie, but I try my best to always have his best in mind. Choosing to be a mom - and then choosing to be a good one - is hard work. You have to be able to do what's right for your kids, even if it means saying no to them, saying no to what society says is okay for them. It means making the decision to give them bad food in moderation. Or limiting their caffeine intake by not giving them a huge coffee. Finding the time and energy to take them outside, even if it is a billion degrees out, and playing with them...or for that matter, finding active games to play inside.

Look, I get that there could have been a million reasons for what that mom did and I bet we're all guilty of the same thing at some level. It just serves as a good reminder that we can do better. We can always do better.

I guess being a mom isn't for the weak.