There are only a couple more weeks of school left for us. Now that I have one kid in school, I can totally relate to this article about how parents feel at the beginning versus the end of school. It took almost 2 hours for Big A to finish her homework the other night, and she didn’t have much.
So yes, I’m burned out on school and looking forward to summer. But onto food…
What’s Cooking This Month
Monday (Mexican): Shrimp Tacos with slow cooker re-fried beans (chicken fajitas, turkey tacos and carnitas)
Tuesday (Italian): Turkey Lasagna with a salad and fruit (spaghetti with meatballs, slow cooker chicken parm, make your own pizza)
Wednesday: Kids’ Choice
Thursday (Grill night): Grilled Chicken Legs, roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus (turkey burger, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp)
Friday: Salmon Cakes — working on a new recipe with sweet potatoes will serve with salad and fruit (chicken tenders, deli meat & cheese appetizers and baked shrimp and broccoli)
Check Org Junkie for more ideas
More from Cooking Light
The Lesson I Learned from Little D’s Kindergarten Dilemma
Do you remember my post about Little D being ready for kindergarten? Well we were pretty set on holding him back. I looked up some articles online but fixated on the comments. I read things like “I’ve never met anyone regret holding a kid back, only for sending them too early.” When I talked to people I would overwhelmingly get the same response. I thought that there were no advantages to sending him to school this year, only potential drawbacks.
But then on a girls’ trip, a friend of mine described her opposite dilemma. She wanted to send her kid to kindergarten but she didn’t make the cut-off. She mentioned some research showing younger kids actually do better in school. That was a signal to me that I really didn’t do my homework after all. And I’m someone who usually does a lot of research when faced with a problem. Shame on me!
I’m not going to get into what I found but it made me realize there could be some advantages to sending Little D, who isn’t even close to the cut-off date. So we took the advice of the principal at the school he will be attending, and changed to a structured preschool to help get him ready. And he has really flourished there. Within two weeks, he was writing his name and he even draws at home now, asking for paper when his sister is doing homework.
I was letting the fear of his being held back later — and what that might do to his self esteem — cloud my thinking. So after quieting the fear, doing research and taking advice from education professionals, we have made the decision to send Little D to kindergarten this year.
I was reminded how easy it is to get swept by a trend (and the underlying fear that usually drives it) without checking the substance behind it. This happens with nutrition all the time.
Remember the recommendation to drink 8 glasses of water a day and that if you are thirsty you are already dehydrated? Well back in 2002 a researcher found no research to back up that claim that had been made for years and years. This led to the Institute of Medicine changing its recommendations in 2004. It seems thirst can be trusted after all (Unless it’s a really hot day, but you get the point).
So this experience was a helpful reminder to always do my research so I can make informed decisions. Trust but verify.
Links
I continue my food safety kick over at WebMD with 5 Myths That Put Your Health at Risk.
In this post, I highlight a recent review study looking at benefits of focusing on internal cues of eating versus restriction. On a similar note, an article in New York Magazine highlights Intuitive Eating: The Non-Diet Diet: The Case for Eating Whatever You Want.
Some great ideas at Super Healthy Kids for Do-it-yourself Spice Blends.
Checkout this inspiring story over at Scientific American — What if We All Stopped Trying to Lose Weight?
Don’t miss this Respectful Parenting post about how one parent learned to trust her picky eater.
Well that’s it for now. Let me know how you are doing in the comments!
For more details on how to plan meals, check out Maryann’s book The Family Dinner Solution: How to Create a Rotation of Dinner Meals Your Family Will Love
I can’t tell you how many of my mom friends are struggling with the exact same Kindergarten dilema. So glad you wrote about it as I think there needs to be more support out there. With all the “expert” advice and contradictory information out there I can only imagine how frustrating this decision can be. I will point them to your site!
Thanks!
Thanks Ana. You are right, this is tough decision and there isn’t enough support. Hope I can help!
Good for you for trusting your gut! As with all things parenting-related, we take in loads of information and have to process and decide for ourselves. Not an easy task!
For what it’s worth, I have a late birthday and was always one of the youngest in my grade (and, as it happens, one of the shortest too). It made me a little scrappy I think – in a good way. I learned to stand taller because I had to, if that makes sense.
Good luck to Little D and to all of you!
Thanks Gillian. I was so obsessed eith this topic and starting asking all my friends how their age/birthday affected them. There were quite a few that were glad to be younger — but didn’t like getting their driver’s licence later than everyone ; )
Glad you hear you reached a decision you feel good about! Loved this part, so wise: “I was reminded how easy it is to get swept by a trend (and the underlying fear that usually drives it) without checking the substance behind it.” And you’re right–happens with food/nutrition a lot too!
It’s funny Sally I always relate things back to nutrition. Can’t help it!