Category Archives: Parenting

The Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants for Kids

06/20/2014 R.C. Liley 11 Comments

After extensive research and numerous comparison tests, I have compiled the healthiest fast food restaurants for our children. To some, the results might be shocking, while it may come as no surprise to others.

With all of the claims made on billboards, tv, and magazines, it’s hard to know what truly is best when it comes to going to a fast food establishment. Hopefully this info will help you navigate the confusing hub bub and make the best decisions for your family.

Here is my list of the healthiest fast food joints to take your kids:

1. NONE!

And that concludes my list.

Nope, I didn’t forget 2, 3, 4, etc.; number one is the only answer. There is no healthy fast food restaurant for anyone, and especially your children who depend on you to provide! Maybe there are healthier choices, but they are still devoid of the nutrition from something similar made at home.

I get that many parents are short on time, but I don’t see that as being a good reason to resort to fast food or frozen, packaged meals to feed your kids. True, I don’t know everyone’s life story or current situation, but our kids depend on us, their parents, to protect and properly provide for them.

If you claim to care about your child’s health, then why subject them to overly processed, chemical laden “food”? It’s unfair to children who don’t know the difference between healthy vs. unhealthy food, and can only accept what you get them or have nothing at all.

Most fast food options will have you waiting in line either at the drive-thru or inside which can take upwards of 15 to 30 minutes depending on time of day. Alternatively, you could prepare a healthy meal with whole foods at home and even get the entire family involved.

And the argument over the cost of healthy food being too high is absurd. The amount of money you spend on going out easily outweighs the cost of buying your own ingredients and cooking at home. Factor in the gas it takes to go wherever you’re going, price for drinks, added tip if at a sit-down restaurant, and the lesser quality food that impacts health, it’s just not worth it.

We show Avery how eating our homemade meals makes us feel great and gives us energy to get through the day. Plus, making your own food can be educational and fun for your kids. She watches me prepare meals in the kitchen and then takes part in eating (or attempting to eat) healthy foods like carrots, broccoli, and lately, cucumber.

It’s important to start your kid on the path to eating healthy from the start, but I realize many of you have grown children who may resist your attempts at offering healthy food. This is no reason to just give up and let them go about their way; that’s just a guarantee to lead your child down the path to obesity.

Here are 5 ways to get your kids interested in healthier food options and maybe even help you bond more as a result:

Teach by example. As parents, we are our children’s role models, so when you eat healthy, they will want to eat healthy too.
Take them grocery shopping. Sounds crazy, huh? Well, stay out of the middle isles with colorful boxes promising “fun” and “happiness” and peruse the perimeter with your kid. Let them pick out a new produce item to take home; they will be more interested in trying something they chose.
Let them help. If your kids are old enough, get them in the kitchen to “help” however they can. Just having the slightest bit of participation will make kids more prone to trying something they had a part in preparing.
Don’t give up. If at first you don’t succeed, try again! A child may need to see a food several times before actually trying it, so be persistent. We learned this with Avery; she wouldn’t look at the carrots we gave her, but now she’ll pick them up and bring them right to her mouth!
Make it easy. Kids (and most adults) tend to pick food based on what’s the easiest to grab. So when looking for a snack, most of us will grab that bag of chips instead of chopping fresh produce into bite-size pieces. Try cutting fruit and veggies and have them ready to grab right out of the fridge for your kids to snack on. You’ll be surprised at how they’ll go for them now that they are easy to eat! This will also help the adults in the house!

By now, you get my point, if you truly want to best for your kids and want them to grow up strong and healthy, focus on healthy food. Exercise is another important aspect, and I’ll get into that on another post I’m sure. For children, just getting outside and being active is the best exercise. Limit time in front of a screen and hey, try joining and playing outside with them!

Here’s a long, but extremely eye-opening info-graphic on the childhood obesity epidemic; it’s sad to read, and I hope to do what I can to change this!

Our kids look up to us and want to do what we do, so by living a healthy life, we are helping shape a healthy future for our little ones. If you don’t know how to start on a healthier path, MR. Google has plenty of information.

This post is part of the “I’m Proud of That” Link-up on the Daddy Space blog. Click the badge below to check out other awesome parent bloggers:

Here’s a search I performed for you to find Healthy, easy weekday meals.

Are you currently trying to change your unhealthy habits at home?

Do you already follow healthy living? If so, any tips for other parents?

Life, Parenting

Dear Demon: We Want Our Daughter Back

06/19/2014 R.C. Liley 8 Comments

Have you ever considered the possibility of demons inhabiting your child and that’s what makes them cry at glass-shattering decibels?

I mentioned how Avery has started to really “hit the high notes” in my 7 Memories post (it was the bonus memory, number 8), and she’s only getting louder. Why oh why do they do this?

That’s a rhetorical question, please don’t actually answer.

Unless you know for sure…..do you?

She’s in the prime age for teething and both Going Mom and I are confident that this, coupled with her increasing neediness, are the culprits. But, you can never rule out the possibility of demon possession; right?

How else can you explain having a baby with all of their needs met, but the instant you even think about setting them down, they begin their shrill, demon-like cries?

Luckily, we are loving parents and show her our love regardless of demon possession or not. But I wonder if when I’m feeding a bottle, if I’m feeding my baby or a demon.

Gives me goosebumps. Poor girl, she’s going to hate me posting this all over the internet, but I capture raw footage of possible demon possession in Avery. Watch it and let me know what you think?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tdI5FP3CoQ&w=560&h=315]

Maybe blowing raspberries really is the best way to remove demons and that’s the actual reason babies do it on a daily basis. Hey, maybe.

So, Demon, if you’re reading this, please leave our daughter and go with your demon friends elsewhere. We don’t like your kind around here; consider this your one and only warning.

This post is part of the Love All Dads Link Up Party, check out other cool dad bloggers by clicking the button below and enjoy!!

Life, Parenting

7 Month Photo Session and How to Fight a Bear

06/18/2014 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Avery stepped into month 7 of her life the same day I celebrated my first Father’s Day, so we had two reasons to celebrate. Okay, three if you count not having a giant tortoise to care for in our back yard!

Before G-Ma, Paul, and our friend, Margaret came over to ~~wish me a happy Father’s Day~~ see Avery, Going Mom and I took advantage of Avery’s current good mood to take her monthly progression photos next to her stuffed bear. We asked her if she was ready as we sat in the living room and she gave us her typical constipated raspberry response.

We took that as a “yes.”

In the nursery, Kelley sat Avery in the chair and went to grab the stuffed animal bear. It was obvious Avery was just as excited as we were about her 7 month photo shoot.

Maybe the bear would help excite her?

Meh; a little better, but even blowing raspberries would’ve been better than this poker face. But then she opened up and seemed interested in her soft, friendly bear.

At least, we thought she was just interested, but apparently she had some aggression issues with her stuffed bear. What ensued for the remainder of the photo session was basically a bear mauling. Maybe Avery was giving a tutorial on how to fight a stuffed bear should the need arise. I mean, hey, you never know!

As you can see from the picture above, you must first act like you just want to pet the unsuspecting bear. Then, when you have good leverage, slam his face down in your knee and smile while doing so.

Then grab your bear prey from behind while he’s stunned….

….and throw him in a corner while staying as close as you can to prevent him from taking any swipes. Maybe bite his face a little.

From there, drive your shoulder into his neck region to let him know you’ve only just begun to show him who’s boss!

Don’t stop, keep really driving your body into his and don’t let up by any means! This is a bear, after all, and they can’t be trusted.

Having shown his jugular a thing or two, push him down from behind and bite his head! Trust me, you’ll “bear-ly” taste a thing.

At this point, you’re probably a little tired, so give yourself a break by just laying right on top of the big lug.

Keep laying there if you need to; bear fights are exhausting.

Once you’ve established yourself as master of all bears, prop the poor sap back up in a corner and go let everyone know your big feat!

Oh yeah, oops, learn how to crawl or walk before trying to get off the chair though. Thanks, mom, for catching me!

Have mommy or daddy help you down from the chair instead of trying to crawl right off of it and get to the nearest phone to tell everyone you know. Just so happens, Avery had her chance to use the phone when we changed her into swim clothes to go outside and try her new giant turtle pool.