On lying to kids

Post by **Tiff** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:25 pm

I don't think anybody's saying OMG JUNK FOOD SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED EVAR. I think they're just saying that ALWYAS disguising healthy food in junk food isn't a good idea, becuase they're being given the good with the bad.

Junk food is fine in balanced moderation.

Senshi_of_Vision · Post by **Senshi_of_Vision** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:29 pm

ahh I see. And I understand that I chalk that up with idiots who tell their kids medicine is candy..why would you do something like that when kids are impressionable? then when little billy is passed out on the floor cause he decided he wanted more grape flavored candy..I guess I can see where some lying is detremental but its like the baby blues cartoon I read the other night when the little boy asked the dad "Do mommy and Daddies lie?" and the wife asked the father what he said and he replied "I lied and said No." LOL sometimes it has to be done but not in those situations it hurts more then it helps.

magily11 · Post by **magily11** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:44 am

When I was little, my mum used to make a mountain of Mashed potatoes and put broccoli on the top like trees. ^^
I don't see what's wrong with Santa or whatever, because it's a fun game to play with kids, Let them hope for a little magic in the world.

And let's face it, how many of you were deeply traumatized when you figured Santa wasn't real? Most people figure it out by P4 (4th/5th Grade/5th Year).

wink568 · Post by **wink568** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:51 am

I don't think the harm in hiding veggies in sweets is the lying. I mean, if I ate a brownie and found out there was something else in it, I wouldn't feel cheated. Psh, I don't like the taste of flour on its own, but I like cookies. ^^ I don't think the kids would care and think "OMG, my parents are liars", I mean the food tasted good in the end.

I do think there is harm on a different level, though. Kids can grow to appreciate veggies, if you give them the opportunity to taste them. Heck, even tastes can change. I love almost all veggies from lima beans to broccoli to cauliflower. I think it is important to teach your kids the value of nutrition. If you used the method described in the article, and the kids became old enough to feed themselves, they'd reach for the brownies and junk food thinking "Mom fed it to me, so it must be good" without knowing that they should compliment their diet with healthy food.

As for the Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy. I'd like to meet any person who claims there lives were ruined because they found out they didn't exist. My goodness, people. Parents have been doing it for years, and I think the past generations have turned out just fine. e.e

DreamEmpress · Post by **DreamEmpress** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:05 am

Yeah, I read that same article a while back and I still disagree with it. I still seriously believe that hiding veggies is not the smartest way to reach out to your children about nutrition. Just the term 'hiding' itself implies that it's not something we're opening willing to introduce to our kids. Thing is, from the beginning we should be open and up front with our kids about all kinds of vegetables and the wide variety of flavors in this world. As many of you stated, hiding it in sweets only makes your kids think that sweets are okay. I don't know about any of you, but I don't want my kids someday to assume that chocolate is healthy. As much as I'd love this to be like in Chibi-usa's Diary, (the one about the dentist where she says that in the future how sweets didn't make you fat) that's not reality.

Now I love cooking and I'm hoping to someday help my kids appriciate different foods. This is mainly by showing them that veggies are good in different forms. You don't have to lie to them, just have them try veggies in a wide variety of meals that can be good and expand their appriciation. I wasn't too keen on spinach when I was a kid. mom heated it from canned and I couldn't take it. My next experience with it was in a Greek Pizza and I found out it was actually extremely good in different forms. Especially veggie lasanga. I wanna be up front with my kids and have them try things at least once. If they see it used in different ways, they'll find out they do like it very much. I just want them to always know what they are eating.

Okay, I'm going to take a side note about Santa and friends. I think parents are crazy when they try to be honest with their kids about Santa at a very young age. Like telling your 3 or 5 year old that there is no Santa. These legends are what can fire the imagination and give children a sense of magic in their lives. We all eventually find out the truth on our own. But that's just part of growing up.

awesomeweirdo · Post by **awesomeweirdo** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:41 pm

If parents can manage to get their kids to eat sweets with veggies mixed in, which i can't imagine any little kid actually liking without a little pressure, why don't they use that energy to get them to eat actual veggies?!

And for the Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc. thing, finding out can be traumatizing when you're in the 4th grade and your friend feels the need to tell everyone the truth about them after her parents told her the night before................................

Post by **Tiff** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:01 pm

awesomeweirdo wrote:If parents can manage to get their kids to eat sweets with veggies mixed in, which i can't imagine any little kid actually liking without a little pressure, why don't they use that energy to get them to eat actual veggies?!

That's the key, right there. You can get a child to eat veggies if you try hard enough and be creative. Most of the time, if you re-introduce a certain food several times, the child will try it at some ponit or another.

And for the Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc. thing, finding out can be traumatizing when you're in the 4th grade and your friend feels the need to tell everyone the truth about them after her parents told her the night before................................

Uh...wow. A fourth grader is about 9 or 10 usually, and saying that they can be "traumatized" because they found out about the tooth fairy/santa is a bit of a stretch. I pretty much figured it out by then, but kept up the fun because..well, it was fun.

awesomeweirdo · Post by **awesomeweirdo** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:41 pm

Tiff wrote:Uh...wow. A fourth grader is about 9 or 10 usually, and saying that they can be "traumatized" because they found out about the tooth fairy/santa is a bit of a stretch. I pretty much figured it out by then, but kept up the fun because..well, it was fun.

well, it wasn't as much "traumatizing" as it was just sadly annoying to me. I was the child who liked to stick to tradition and was afraid that since i found out, we would no longer have Santa Claus at Christmas, etc, since i am the youngest so there would be no reason to keep it up. my parents still don't know that i know the truth about SC/ TF/ EB, though they have their suspicions. i know that we probably would still have SC/ EB since they are traditions, even if they did find out that i know, but i don't feel like telling them yet.......................

Post by **Tiff** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:47 pm

awesomeweirdo wrote:
well, it wasn't as much "traumatizing" as it was just sadly annoying to me. I was the child who liked to stick to tradition and was afraid that since i found out, we would no longer have Santa Claus at Christmas, etc, since i am the youngest so there would be no reason to keep it up. my parents still don't know that i know the truth about SC/ TF/ EB, though they have their suspicions. i know that we probably would still have SC/ EB since they are traditions, even if they did find out that i know, but i don't feel like telling them yet.......................

You're 13. I garuntee you they know.

Parents keep these things up because usually it's just as much fun for them as it is for you. I'm 25, and my parents STILL put "from santa" on some of the gifts that appear in the stocking or christmas morning. It's more for fun than an actual belief that I still believe in those things.

wink568 · Post by **wink568** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:31 am

Heh, I always tell Kiel that I can't wait until I have kids so that Santa will be "real" again, lol.

Believing in Santa was so much fun, and while I was a little upset when I found out he wasn't real, it didn't destroy my life or anything. I did keep on the act for a while after, just because I loved the idea of Santa so much.