Buy Walking VideosFive Things You Can Learn from a Toddler from Diet Blog
Here is an interesting entry from the Diet Blog:
Here is a simplified list of what you can learn from a toddler.
- They are in motion all day long.
- They stop eating when they are full.
- They love to see themselves naked.
- They are very flexible!
- They get their sleep.
I haven’t had enough experience with toddlers to know if any of this is true. Do toddlers really love to see themselves naked? Do they get enough sleep of their own volition or is it forced upon them by their parents? I’m always wary of simple little five item lists like this. I could just as easily think of five things to avoid:
- They hate vegetables.
- They can’t focus on one task for longer than five minutes.
- They are very picky eaters.
- They are obsessed with sugar and candy.
- They complain when they have to go to bed.
When it comes to taking eating cues from toddlers, what do you think?
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April 4th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Actually, my daughter loves fruits and vegetables and has more attention span than I do most of the time. She is a picky eater (which is to say, she has a few favorite meals, and isn’t always keen on new foods), and while she loves candy, she never eats much at a time (even with the candy bucket fully available) and NEVER complains about having to go to bed. She goes to bed around 8:30 and gets up at least 11-12 hours later, so I’d say she is usually adequately rested.
And she’s passed the stage where I have to argue with her to get her to wear clothes, but she’s sure not inhibited or bothered by what she looks like naked…
And – this is not mentioned above – she’s almost always happy. Very small things please her. She likes going for walks and picking wildflowers, and thanks me for bringing her dinner, and is very excited about a new book, or a squirrel on the front porch.
I think it would be VERY nice sometimes to be a kid again and just be happy because you don’t know anything about worrying.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Your list made me laugh. Sometimes the “just do these 5 things” lists are just too clever and too pat to be very meaningful.
April 4th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Not all toddlers hate vegetables, but they are obsessed with sugar and candy, often so much that they don’t know when to stop eating. Yes, toddlers do love to see themselves naked. Sleep is usually made to be a routine part of their lives by parents–not of their own volition.
I wouldn’t take advice from toddlers on how to eat. They also throw tantrums when they don’t get the food they wanted.
April 4th, 2008 at 10:00 am
They hate their vegetables is a direct influence of their parents and comes from when they transition to solid food, parents tend to go for fruit first and then veggies thinking it’s an easier step change, after all what would you sooner have bannana or green beans!
Naked yes they do, sleep promotes sleep; the more you have the more you want, depriving a child of sleep is cruel, they are perfectly in touch with their homeostasis unlike most adults who eat for taste. And they can focus for more than five minutes but it’s up to the parent to engage.
So some good some bad, but then; who’s perfect!
April 4th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I would agree with the diet blog list totally. I have two toddler boys. They are active (ei: running) all day from the moment their eyes open until the time that they the moment that they get in bed. (And they LOVE to go to sleep–they are so active that they are ready to go to bed when their eight o’clock bedtime rolls around.) They only pause long enough for a quick hug and to eat their meals. Children learn to eat healthy if that is what they are given. If they are never given the option of junk food like candy, chocolate, or chips, then they don’t know what they are missing. Eating junk food is something that they pick up from their parents. Halloween candy goes barely touched at our house. I always throw it away right before the current Halloween. Kids can only eat what we parents give them–whether that’s junk or healthy food is up to the parents. And they do enjoy being naked–they haven’t learned to hate the looks of their bodies yet. Hopefully that will never happen. I want them to learn how to eat smart and healthy, get enough exercise, and be healthy and happy children. I want these lessons to stay with them until adulthood.
April 4th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
my little loves some fruits and vegetables as much as candy but she will grab a cucumber and eat it like an apple and she will take a bite of each apple LOL then want the apple I am eating.
April 6th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Both lists are true. The points made are for entertianment and simple reflection. They are generalizations not meant to convey deep universal truths. Just enjoy and be encouraged.