Monday, May 17, 2010

A 6 Year Old's Take on Nutrition

I make really amazing gingersnap cookies. The recipe is actually my friend, Beki's, but my cookies turn out almost as good as hers. Luckily for me, Beki lives in Minnesota, so my
 kids and friends will never know. So, tonight I'm trying to "sell" my 6 year old on my gingersnap cookies. Usually I have to cut him off...he loves my cookies. And really, all "good" moms make cookies for their kids, so no matter how much of a health-freak I am, I gotta do it!

I ask him if he wants a cookie and he says..."no, I don't think cookies are very healthy. I think they have sugar. Do they have sugar." I lie and tell him "just a little".
Brenden: "Well, what else is in it?"
Me: "Eggs, butter, flour...good stuff."
Brenden: "My dad says butter will kill you. It has calories. The bad kind."
Me: "No, that's not true. A little butter is fine. Everything in moderation, bud."
Brenden: "What's moderation?"
Crap!!! Why'd I open that can of worms?!?!

He decides he'll take one. I guess to appease me. And a glass of milk. Make that two.
Brenden: "Mom, does milk give you energy?"

I'm lost. What happened to my kid? Who is feeding him this information? My kid used to inhale my cookies and now I'm having launch a full on sales pitch to get him to eat just one little cookie. Apparently some "nutrition guys" came to school and gave a lecture about good nutrition. When I asked him what these guys had to say he said:

"Sugar is bad. It has lots of calories that are bad for you. But cheese is good. The calories in cheese are the good kind."

I had to bite my tongue and just let it go. I wanted to tell him the truth about cheese, but I realized that he's only 6. If I can't get 60 year old clients to understand that cheese is a FAT and not a protein, why would I expect my 6 year old to get it. But the thing is...if I could actually be patient enough to explain it for him he would totally get it...cause he's smart like that. ;)

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