My guys feel like Raw Food Outcasts...:(

[Purl]

I posted about this on another thread, but I thought it more approprate to be put here 'cause I really need advice on how to keep these guys raw....

Oh-how frustrating!! I'm having a hard time with all the poop-food (aka junk food) that is served EVERYWHERE!!!! My dc wanted to have a birthday party at a local kids indoor play area. You aren't allowed to bring your own food-and there isn't ONE THING on the menu that my guys can eat. They don't want me to make a cake for their friends 'cause they don't want people to know they are one this "diet" (as tehy put it). I recently learned that at school they have been putting out the leftovers for free and my 5 year old with a wheat allergy has eaten fish sticks and bread and butter. At church, each child is rewarded with CANDY at the end of junior church and the snack between sunday school and junor church is always cookies and kool-aid. Today they were having a cook-out and again there wasn't ONE THING my kids could eat. They served the kids before adult church let out and every child in the room had lunch, but my 3 boys and they felt terrible just sitting there. They served kool-aid, potato salad, hotdogs and brownies. They told me that they felt totally left out and "weird" just sitting there. There is an upcoming birthday party at school and my boy will be the only kid not eating the cupcakes. At "friendship group" (at school) they serve pretzles, so my boys can't eat there. Every couple of months when the 2nd grade class has a fundraiser the reward is always pizza and movie. I mentioned to dh that we need to be thinking of what we are going to do re: Easter. His g-ma always gives the dc sugar, sugar, sugar, altho we have asked her not to in the past, and the food she serves cannot be eaten. He says we may skip his family and go to mine, where the diet will be respected and honored and the dc will not feel like outcasts.

I just feel terrible that my little guys feel terrible. They feel like weirdos, they feel left out. All in all, they feel terrible about eating raw right now. They understand the benefits, but that doesnt' help when you are the only kid in the room out of 22 that can't do what EVERYONE else is doing. WHY is food so SOCIALLY important???

How can I lessen the pain my dc feel??????



HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE MAD?????

[Purl]

huh. after reading everything that I wrote-I realized that poop-food is the "reward" for EVERYTHING in a child's world. No wonder America is having such a hard time with childhood and adult obesity! (myself included-for now ;) )

[livingatthetop]

Purl I read your post and I see how true this SAD world works no wonder why kids are gettind diabetes at an early age. I feel that as raw foodest we should not back down and give in to the norms . We should all take a stand. For example if your children go to a get together that is rawfree bring your own cakes. Rawkinlocs had a site for raw childrens birthday cakes. I checked it out and you know what purl those cakes didnt even look like they wereraw I mean they were big not flat and well decorated. you can also put the kake on a tall cake stand for great presentation. Purl you should really learn if you dont already know how to prepare great harty meal for your kids. You can use the summer as an oportubity to Detox your children and really have a mom heart to heart withthem. Hope this helps go get um purl

[Purl]

thanks. I guess I feel bad that they feel "weird" being raw. It's such a beautiful thing, but at ages 8 and 5, they can't see it yet. I feel like a meanie saying no all the time. I feel like they set me up..."Can we still have cake/chips/candy/poptarts/rice krispie bars/rootbeer/icecream/happymeals/cheetos/fruit snax/s'mores/french fries/pizza/doritos/pancakes/milkshakes/chicken nuggets/grilled cheese sandwiches on this diet?" etc. They have only eaten some of those foods 1 or 2 times in their whole lives, but now they suddenly feel DEPRIVED of it. I feel like some kind of food police.

[Lady Green Jeans]

Purl,

My heart goes out to you. I was not blessed with children but stand in amazement of you and what you are accomplishing with yours. Don't know if it's possible, but many parents (mostly mothers, I've heard) go an extra step and provide an option at some of the events their children attend. My experience thus far in the raw arena has reinforced that. People for the most part are curious. Most, not all, will try something new and/or different.

If you're open to it, try having your children help select and help prepare some raw desserts and/or snacks to take to the events. Teach that we each follow our own path (different drum?) vs. status quo. Leader/vs follower maybe. Small steps toward the goal. Maybe I'm not in tune, but that is the path I would try.

Best wishes for your continued success with your dear children.

[mkgodwin]

My kids are now 26 and 23. My 23yo has been vegetarian all her life. I raised my 26yo as vegetarian from the age of 3. We went back and forth between vegan and vegetarianism. Both never liked growing up "different"......I am sure that your children being raw is worse in some respects....but at the time it was a big deal not to eat meat, sugar, dairy, etc. As a single mother, I learned early that I did not get paid if my kids were sick and I had to stay home. I had to educate the other parents, teachers, etc. But I also had to realize that sometimes my kids would stray without any help from others in the quest "to be the same".

The joke now is that I never had to worry about my kids doing drugs or getting drunk...I had to worry they'd go out and have a slab of beef when they turned 18 .

I feel it is unfortunate that children are still "rewarded" with junk food...and that this is how as a society we educate our children......we can't change everyone's mind, but we can educate our own children...and hope they do what is right.

You're doing good. Your children are aware, and they'll probably do the right thing most of the time.

Marie