The Garden School Tattler

My computer was down yesterday, so I didn't post.

One of the interesting things about the youngest group is their attention span or lack of it. The question is always, "If they are not listening to what is going on, what are they listening to?

Sometimes, I think, it's their guardian angel. Sometimes it's absolutely nothing, but their nothing is better than your something. The challenge is really basic communication.

The idea right now is to learn to listen so that they can listen to learn. Listening to learn electrifies kids. It shows them by watching and listening to someone else, that they can do big stuff too. The "I can'ts" are really prevalent now. You hear it all the time. But soon those I can'ts will disappear and you'll begin to hear, "I want to do that too."

Yesterday we filled up the pond. Somehow putting a hose into a big plastic tub was more exciting than just about anything we did that day. It did include watching as the fish emerged and rediscovering a lot of neat stuff about the pond including pond scum and dead plants!

Lunch time has been interesting. The disdain for fresh fruit is amazing. The love of junk food is also amazing. The hatred for milk is enlightening. We had sausage - usually a favorite - applesauce, cantaloupe, green salad, French and curly fries and milk. We probably threw away 60% of lunch. You can blame it on the heat, but that's stretching it.

Here's part of an article by Babyfit about carbohydrates:

Sugars are simple carbohydrates. When we typically think of sugar we think of such things as granulated, brown, powdered, raw, or cane. However, things like honey, syrup and molasses are also sugars. You'll also find it used in things like jam, jelly, soda, pies, cakes, cookies and candy bars.

Your body needs carbohydrates to supply the energy that is necessary to function and perform. Complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole grain products and dried peas and legumes provide the same energy but are less likely to be converted and stored as fat.

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So when we examine a child's diet, and we find too many simple carbohydrates, we ask why? Simply because they are more desirable to a child. They are easy to eat. They seem pleasant to eat. These are what children want and sometimes it's easier to give them what they want rather than what is good for them.

What difference does it make? The better a child's diet, the stronger he will be to fight off illness. A child whose diet is good will have fewer problems with obesity because his habits will be focused on food value rather than impulse.

Every child needs to experience the joy of empty calories because it's fun, but a constant diet of "I only eat..." is not a good thing if the list only includes junk food.