Committed

Today I signed the healthy mommy pledge over at Mrs. Muffins blog, I want to make a commitment to being a better example to my children. I hem and haw over the morals/values I teach them, pay money to send them to Sunday Shul, and Hebrew school, we want to give them a strong Jewish identity. Which is all fine and dandy, I think addressing spirituality is important. On the flip side I have not really given much time, or thought to what I am giving them health wise, beyond "take your vitamin it's good for you".

I provide healthy meals but what example do I show them? I think lately in our home there has been lot of do this "because I said so" but my actions don't meet my words. How can I fix this, or set a better example is what I am asking myself this morning. Mr. G and I have already committing to making sure our children will be eating healthy, now what about ourselves? We want our son's to learn healthy habits, feel good about themselves, and to look for mates that value themselves. They can't learn that at school they can only learn it watching Mr. G and myself.


"I will not talk bad about my body, especially in front of my children" I am guilty of this a lot. I know this because I hear my two little boys discussing their weight, and other peoples weight. Chavi points out weight loss infomercials to me, and exercise equipment at the local Target.. They are very zeroed in on weight and it breaks my heart that I taught them how to do that.


Here is the thing, I can tell them until I am blue in the face that they are wonderful just as they are, why on earth  would they believe me when I put myself down in front of them. Parenting is such a sticky wicket! Seeing how learning new habits is super hard, to be mindful of this I am putting it on my bathroom mirror. Hopefully seeing it every morning and evening will help me to be more eye-ware about bad mouthing myself (especially in-front of the children).


Do you show yourself the same consideration and compassion you give to others? We try so hard to be mindful of the others moving across this planet, but often we are just plain hateful to our own being. From the foods and chemicals we put in our body, to the inner voices we give permission to beat us down. I think it is time to tell our inner "Negative Nancy" to sit down and shut up. I may not be happy with my body right now but I can change that. The person that I am is more than the physical shell, and I am wonderful just as is.