Five years ago, I was pondering healthy eating. Was I eating a good enough diet? I’d read a lot of blog posts about giving up sugar. It seemed to be a hot topic. At first, I closed my mind to the idea of not eating sugar. I found a dozen reasons why I couldn’t do this. But gradually, I became more open-minded. I got to the point where I felt I could indeed survive without all my favourite sugary treats.
But what about my family? Would they be open to the idea of giving up sugar with me? For, of course, I couldn’t just announce, “We’re all giving up sugar!” and then expect everyone to fall in with my plan. I knew this would not be a respectful way to encourage my kids to eat more healthily. I also knew this approach wouldn’t work. Yes, I discovered a long time ago, that we can’t force kids to eat everything we put in front of them.
So I gave up sugar. And my family? They gave it up too. Yes, we quit sugar together. All of us. Freely with no complaints. Actually, everyone was very excited. What could have been a negative experience turned unexpectedly into a positive one. My husband and children were all eager to embrace a more healthy way of eating.
Why were our kids open to the idea of giving up sugar? Did they listen to my reasons and then follow my example? Or was there more to it than that?
I’m going to let my teenage daughter Sophie tell the story of how we gave up sugar (on her birthday!). She also gives her tips for sharing healthy eating with unschooling kids.
Sophie filmed this short video in the bush close to our home. We hope you’ll take the time to watch it!
How We Gave Up Sugar on My Birthday
Notes
This is the second video in a new series that Sophie is making especially for this blog. Did you see last week’s video? Sophie talked about how she got me to do 100 squats and then she challenged parents to get involved with their kids’ passions.
If you’re interested in giving up sugar, take a look at the I Quit Sugar website and books.
Image: Is Sophie looking dismayed because I mentioned the words ‘healthy eating’?
Do you have a healthy eating story? I’d love to hear it!
