Family Food Diaries: Opting Out

I hear so often from parents that they would like their kids to eat healthier,  watch less television or "turn off" the social media. They're frustrated, but they feel stuck in a society where it's hard to say "no."  

It's easy to think "in moderation" everything is okay.  But what we eat and watch is not moderation: 90 percent of the food we eat is processed, kids watch television two hours a day (on average) and Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have become their new language.  

Today, in my Family Food Diaries, you'll find out how hard it has been, but also how rewarding, for Sue McNamara to stick to her guns and "opt" out of too much television, social media and processed food for her family. It wasn't easy she said, but her kids made her brave.

Susan McNamara is a health counselor, Kripalu yoga instructor, JourneyDance teacher, and shamanic practitioner. She is trained in mindfulness-based stress reduction and in healing bodywork. She earned a master in counseling psychology and is trained at the doctoral level in clinical psychology. She is 51 years old and has two children: Maddie, 17, and Jack 15 . She is married and lives in Southampton, Massachusetts.

When Sue's first child, Maddie, arrived 17 years ago, she didn't have a "plan" for rearing her, but Sue knew that she felt a deep responsibility and commitment to help Maddie grow into her full expression. She knew her kids deserved "better," but she didn't quite know what that meant.

Sue was concerned that television could have a big influence on her children. In their first house, Sue and her husband Steven didn't want the TV to be the central focus, so they hid it and pulled it out from time to time to watch videos. In their second home, they stored the TV in the basement, and when they moved to a new house a decade later, they got rid of it completely.

Sue's initial intent for limiting the amount of time her children spent in front of the television was to avoid the negative images of violence and sexuality they saw on TV shows and commercials. 

But she started to realize that when she went to the grocery store, Maddie and Jake weren't clamoring for things like Froot Loops and sugary treats, like other kids were. "They only know what you do or what you expose them to."

"They didn't know to want those things," Sue says. "Even at Christmas, they didn't want anything." She continues, "I never knew this was going to be one of the teachings. What they value is not what their peers value. 

They both like things to feel good in, but they understand that clothes are just a thing."

Sue has no regrets for her choices, but it wasn't easy. "I had to follow my gut," she says. To read the full article and Sue's tips for parents, click here. Or, go to www.traceymillerwellness.com.