Making choices for your child can be daunting to say the least. From birth even up to their teen years there’s always a choice to be made and sometimes you worry if you’re making the right one.
How do I decide what’s best for my child? Well, it started even before I gave birth to him. I was having my 3rd child, Jael, 9 years after my 2nd child. It was quite a gap and after 9 years, believe it or not there were drastic changes when it came to food, products and even parenting techniques.
I also had relatives telling me what to do and what not to do, what to feed him and how to raise him. My personal favorite suggestion was putting a piece of paper on his forehead that someone else licked to make his hiccups go away. Absolutely, not. I was so turned around with what everyone was telling me that I decided that I was the best person to make these choices for my child. I had done it twice before after all.
How do you make the right choices? By arming yourself with knowledge. I read what I need to know to make an informed decision. What clothes should he wear? Check the label. We all know cotton is the best kind of cloth for kids because it’s absorbent and comfortable. I’m also proactive with what he watches and what games he plays. I always check the descriptions and have a “walk through” to see what exactly Jael will be exposed to.
When it came to food, it was touch and go at first. I’d have him try different foods to see what he liked, what he was allergic to, etc. Once I knew what he could and could not eat I made sure to check the labels on food items. It’s also a good practice to check the labels on food and drinks that give the best nutritional content. Some drinks are filled with sugar and counteracts my way of parenting. An occasional soda here and there is fine but we stick with fruit juices and milk for the most part.
If you’re unsure on how to decide, read up on it so you can discern what the proper choice for your child will be. We can find the right answers when we exert effort to discover it for ourselves. This is where checking labels and reading up on topics comes in. Also trust that strong mother’s instinct you have. It’s helped me in more ways than one. As a mother of two teens and a 5 year old I can attest to the fact that the best decisions I’ve made was from learning everything I could and making an informed decision from there.
What do you usually check for when looking at labels? I’d love to hear what you watch out for when checking your food and drink products.
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I also try to read as much as I can to have knowledge on the critical needs of my children. It’s helpful especially when myths are thrown at you and have no scientific backgrounds. In the end however, I sometimes rely on that mommy instinct that one has. =)
When people suggest, give feedbacks or advises, I just listen but at the end of the day I will decide which is the best for my son. There are times that I don’t check the labels anymore especially if kilala na yung brand but I make sure to check the expiration date.
Michi recently posted…Day 3: Keio Rail-Land in Japan
I agree that at the end of the day, it is still the mother who knows what’s best for our kids. I am very intentional as to what my kids are actually watching and playing. Not much on the food though, but we only allow chips on weekends and no soda for them. As for the label, I don’t usually check them as long as I know what they are eating. 😉
Eve recently posted…Tsep Dad Recipes Soon
I agree re mom’s instinct. Also, though our friends and relatives only wish the best for our kids, it is still us mothers who know and undertand our kids and may be the best to decide for them.
Yes, it is best that we read what we’re going to give our child/ren. I also do that, that’s why it takes a lot of time for me when we do our grocery shopping. I also check the labels, the ingredients and all. Hehe! 🙂
Coi recently posted…What age should we teach our Kids doing Chores?
Hay yes, I’m learning that now. To read labels. Iba talaga pag nanay ka na. I remember being so careless when I was younger. I would eat whatever I felt like eating, kasehodang puro MSG pa yan. But now, with all the illnesses popping up, you really need to fight for your family’s health.
May Palacpac recently posted…Loving my Kinesthetic Learner
People’s advice can be very overwhelming sometimes. When I just gave birth, there were just too many suggestions, I’m not sure which one to follow anymore. lol. So like you, I try to do my own research instead and trust my motherly instinct on what to decide for my son.
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I agree with you that usually, parents make the best decisions for their children. I believe that this is often true for parents who are hands-on with their kids. When we know our children, we make better, informed choices for them.
I don’t buy junk food as part of our grocery. I pass on most of the food-related lessons I grew up with. I wasn’t fed junk food also by my mom when I was a kid. That’s why, not that I’m a parent, I do the same. I also veer away from processed food as much as possible and do my best to cook our food from scratch as often as I can.
There was a point when I was quite obsessed with online information. Interestingly I even wrote a post about it, haha: http://www.bringinguptheparks.com/how-google-helped-me-gain-my-mothers-instinct. I also believe in the power of arming oneself with information, and not just listening to others…unless I’ve actually seen that it works, haha. (the tissue on the head in my case worked, for example). Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Knowledge is indeed power. Trial and error works too, plus the mommy instinct. 😀
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I have been conscious of checking the label especially when i buy for my family, I try to get what I know will be best for them. I normally read stuffs, but this age and time there are so many fake ads and stories on line so I choose trusted brands.