It's tough being a kid!

It's tough being a kid!

Peer pressure is alive and well, unfortunately.  No matter how hard we try to teach and encourage our kids to stand up for their beliefs, it can be hard for them not to cave in and follow the crowd.

Ten year old Denny is a vegetarian who loves the food his mother prepares.  When he came home from school though, he was always ravenous.  His mother prodded and learned that he wasn't eating at school.  When asked why, Denny finally admitted that the other kids made fun of his non-conventional lunches.  He told his mom that their lunches had "good" stuff, like packaged snacks and treats.  This wise mom realized a teaching moment when she saw it and they talked about what "good" food really is.  She reminded him about the things he'd learned about nutrition and health.  They talked about fitting in and standing for beliefs.  Denny felt relieved after their discussion and ready to eat with his friends at school.  He said if they don't know what he's eating, he'll offer to share so they can taste different things too.

Sometimes, we adults think that childhood is easy...it's not.