Comments for IT TAKES A VALIUM

Comment on In Search of Parent-Friendly Places by Marta

Marta — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 15:29:37 +0000

Hilarious! So true how that adult attention is needed at indoor playgrounds.

Comment on Am I a Boob or What? by Marta

Marta — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 15:20:45 +0000

It’s hard to be a parent who puts little children’s needs first most of the time, if not all the time. A parent who is intelligent, who thinks through parenting choices, who works on himself/herself to do things differently than the immediate impulse or reaction would dictate. Bringing up two back to back this way certainly wears one’s resources frightfully thin. I know now! And because we are human and have limitations, we feel those sacrifices. There is real loss involved, real exhaustion, real feelings of resentment for working very hard 24/7. Venting and sharing the journey, using dark humor (because the laughs do help) are all an effort to prevent these feelings from spilling onto the kids. Also, naming and talking about stressors helps one go on and become stronger. I get it and support you. I believe you when you say that you are almost always fine.

Comment on Let Them Eat Cake, and Goldfish, and Brains by Lily

Lily — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 07:16:46 +0000

It’s a pleasure to find such rationailty in an answer. Welcome to the debate.

Comment on Let Them Eat Cake, and Goldfish, and Brains by Dev

Dev — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 06:58:53 +0000

I was told that the purpose of snack was for chdirlen with health conditions that required it. So, instead of it just being them, they allow everyone a snack at the a.m. recess. Our classroom is allergen free, so everybody eats it outside (our weather allows it). I usually send a fruit leather, but usually my daughter would rather use the time to play & it comes back home. I agree that it’s out of control and a concern everywhere we go, especially since my daughter is contact sensitive. She takes martial arts and our sensei had to post signs everywhere and repeatedly tell parents that no food is allowed in the studio. Ever. Despite this, a kid ate goldfish crackers crumbling them all over the sofa in the waiting area. DD could never sit on it again. But, God bless this man, Sensei just decided to get rid of the sofa and use metal chairs. We’re only there for one hour! Nobody’s going to starve! It’s honestly no surprise our country is so obese. I think the madness began back in the 1980 s with juice boxes. Before that, we all drank water from a fountain wherever we happened to be, now, it seems every child is dependent on them.

Comment on Let Them Eat Cake, and Goldfish, and Brains by Diki

Diki — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 05:29:13 +0000

Who would have ever thought that the word snack could bring on so many eiomtons? Unfortunately those of us with food allergic children know it all too well. When I had suggested to our school that snack should consist of only fruit, vegetables or cheese (no known dairy allergies), all were on board in theory but not in practice. It was pretty apparent to me that most parents would like to believe they subscribe to the policy of good nutrition for their kids but were unwilling to follow through. I’m not sure what the hold up is. I figured it’s the expense of a fruit tray versus the cost of a bag of goldfish or maybe people are just hung up on being able to have a choice. To me, snack is a colossal waste of time. It takes away from valuable teaching time in the classroom. Even if my son wasn’t food allergic, I still want to be the one who decides what he eats. When treats are given as rewards for performance in school or in sports, then they become expected. I’d like to be able to take my kids to the ice cream shop for a special treat once in awhile but not if they had pretzels for snack, a brownie for Suzie’s birthday or cupcakes for their class winning the box tops contest. Really enough is enough.

Comment on Let Them Eat Cake, and Goldfish, and Brains by Imelda

Imelda — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 05:03:34 +0000

I totally agree with you Kelly. All this snnakicg is a nightmare for kids with food allergies, not to mention, it’s so upsetting when there’s an ad hoc snack for which I am not prepared! Our younger daughter has the same allergies as your son. For instance, at our older daughter’s school’s back to school night, they served popcorn dripping with butter. Had the older daughter had not just happen to mention this would be the case before we left for school, I would never have thought to bring a snack to back to school night for the younger daughter just so she wouldn’t sit there watching all the other kids eat. Her preschool friends parents have been mostly pretty good about providing snacks she can have, but it still took a lot of negotiating with teachers to help them understand. Their stance this year was that they didn’t feel they could put parents out to buy approved snacks; that it would just be asking too much. So I provide her with an alternative snack every day just in case she can’t have what everyone else is having. Seems a little ironic when preschool of all places is supposed to be inclusive and teach social skills like getting along and acceptance of others, doesn’t it? I’m looking forward to kindergarten in public school I’m crossing my fingers they will be more responsive and inclusive.Thanks for your insight. And by the way, we just pulled out your banana chocolate chip muffins from the oven they smell delicious!

Comment on Boy, Is That Tiger a Bitch! by Old Friend

Old Friend — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 13:13:37 +0000

Chicken Fingers, eh? Maybe this should be called the “Chang Feng” model, or “#3, all fingers and a coke, please.” Sorry for the inside joke on a public website.

As for parenting, I just try to love my children, to keep them clean and fed and to make them laugh hard at least once every day so that when bad days come (and they will), we will all have good memories to sustain us. “Success” in the traditional sense is a mixed bag. It’s much better to do what you love and help a few people along the way.

Interesting article.

Comment on Let Them Eat Cake, and Goldfish, and Brains by Khurram

Khurram — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:34:10 +0000

Hello again, reading all of these cmotenms just amazes me, but this morning had to be the shock oh my lifetime, I have a 23 year old and a 18 year old, but they were never affected by allergies,my 7 year old son has a life threatening milk protein allergy, I recently wrote about how the schools still allowing food parties, which I am totally against, and when they plan these parties, is the peanut allergy that gets top priority, so children with how they say not so common allergies have to due without or substitute and I think it is ridiculous. He is at the age that he does not want to be different and gets tired of always having to do without or something different than his friends, he understands the severity of his allergy but still cannot help not wanting it and tired of being special . I think that all allergies are to be taken seriously!!! But back to my story, I was at the bus stop this morning and I got to talking to some of the parents about trying to find a dairy free/peanut free/nut tree free frosting for the cupcakes that I am making (did however find one), but this parent tells me that the focus on peanuts, not tree nuts, but peanuts is because children can die from injesting and not the other allergies, when I heard this I responsed that any allergy can hurt and yes even children can die, my son if milk protein is injested will go into anaphylactic shock, I have seen this once and I pray never to see it again, but the parent responded well I guess 15 years of being a paramedic means nothing and walked off chuckling to himself AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! When will everyone understand, probably never but thanks for the venting session, I can go on with my day and thank you Kelly for allowing parents like myself this place to come and feel united!!! I cannot wait for my cookbook too!!

Comment on Swingers by Almandou

Almandou — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:39:38 +0000

Oh I hate that feeling. Then it tltolay rushes you and you can’t even enjoy the moment. But 5 minutes is probably a good timeframe.You should plant a garden. It hardly took any space!! If I can do it you can:)

Comment on Let Them Eat Cake, and Goldfish, and Brains by Kamran

Kamran — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:55:35 +0000

Once upon a time Chase enjoyed plums/prunes. The ceeatfria use to give them out at his elementary school. He called them “big raisins”.