Every parent of a child old enough to
speak has been there. In the grocery store, they've turned down the
wrong aisle and instantly their child spots a beloved cartoon
character. The child gleefully points to their TV pal on the box
filled with sugar and artificial colors.
If it's early in the day, mom (or dad)
has had a good night's sleep, is amply caffeinated, and
understands how unhealthy the
contents of the box are, she might escape the store without
caving to the child's request. But, that's not without a huge scene,
kicking and screaming, and the intended grocery shopping likely
incomplete, if not altogether abandoned. And, this is the best that
might happen.
The story might end differently for the
mom who is shopping after working all day, or (as I've experienced)
the morning after working beyond midnight and still waking before 7
a.m. Despite our shopping needs, we want to enjoy a little time with
our children. We want smiles, hugs and happy children. We don't have
the energy for a fight. So even those of us who know better may turn
a blind eye to the health risks, toss the sugar and artificial
coloring in our cart, and accept our hugs.
It's really not a fair fight. The food
industry knows how this scene will play out. They know that after mom
and dad lose this battle over and over, the child will grow up
addicted to sugary easy-to-eat food in brightly colored packages.
Then, the adult will be easily swayed by advertising for grown up
junk food.
The fight might not be fair, but it's
not futile. I walked down said “wrong aisle” last week. Our list
was less than a dozen items long, but one of them – coffee, I think
– shares an aisle with the fake fruit snacks. Down on the bottom
shelf my son spotted his favorite turquoise platypus and I got the
request. I gave him a look followed by, “Do you think I'm going to
say 'yes?' ” to which he quietly responded, “Oh, man!” and on
we went.
It was a small victory. He still asked,
but he knew no amount of arguing would win his case. We've been the
object of many turning heads before. We've done the kicking and
screaming. We've abandoned a couple shopping trips. And, yes, I've
even caved a few times. But, over the past four years, I've said no –
even through my haze of too little sleep and too much caffeine –
enough times, he knows the answer.
Stay strong, parents! Big food is not
going to give up targeting our children, but they don't have to
strike. We can be the shields that keep our kids from heading down
the path of obesity and diabetes. Shop the farmers market as much as
you can, but when you have to head down that grocery store aisle,
stay strong. Remember, when your child's pleading starts, and the
heads turn, all those bystanders are your cheerleaders; most of them
have been in your shoes.
