May I have a rant?

[baldowrie]

you forgot the 'if it doesn't come T***o, it's not real' lot!

Here's a classic example of the mentality of some up here. Whilst looking for a preserving pan I asked in a kitchen craft department of Debenhams. The just over middle aged assistant was dumb struck and said 'oh you mean a jelly pan' and promptly took me to the plastic jelly moulds I politely explain a preserving pan was to make things like jam. Her reply

T***o's is just over the road they have lots of jam

There are times when you just give up and walk away

Low fat carrot..that's a classic

2 steps..the sticking up for the lad is just what I am doing, I have also pulled him from school before now.

[2steps]

I've stuff like that before. people seem to think that because it didn't come out of a plastic bag it's not real somehow or must have something wrong with it I remember trying to buy a sugar thermometer a few years ago - god what a chore! I use my pressure cooker pan for making jam :)

my mum often says stuff like 'but you can just buy those in T***o' or 'get them in T***o it's not like there expensive' talk about missing the point

[Wombat]

The thing that drives me crazy is seeing coke in a baby's bottle!

Nev

[PurpleDragon]

The thing that drives me crazy is seeing coke in a baby's bottle!

Nev

We get Irn Bru in a bottle up here, rather than coke, but just as bad. I cannot believe that people still do this! I have seen folk with diluting juice in baby's bottles - even after being told by numerous health-type folk that it rots their teeth.

[Merry]

I gave my sister-in-law (A T***o afficianado)a pot of my sublime raspberry and redcurrant jam. On trying it she exclaimed, "Oh, it tastes like real jam."
Aaaargh!!

[baldowrie]

Irn Bru is worse, it's hyperactivity city It's not made from girders..no sugars and colours in abundance

What annoys me up here is they say the meal includs a drink, juice..so you ask what juice and it's fizzy pop, not juice at all and when you ask water you commit a cardinal sin!

But I still insist

[Mancblue]

I cannot believe what i've read in this thread, it's absurd. It makes me ever so proud that my daughter (5yrs) has never had a fizzy drink, dosn't ask for unhealthy food stuffs and would prefer to walk round T***o's (sorry i know, were trying ) eating a carrot than a mars bar. My son is and will be the same, what they don't know they won't want, if they've never had a fizzy drink etc.. then how can they miss it?

I can believe the parents who told there children, blackberries are horrid and I can believe that you went to a carbooty and people were being sold berries that were in abundence around them, it's just the same old iggnorance that has settled in over the years. Life is much more easy if you live in a unhealthy way , that is until you die early.

[Shirley]

J's nursery only does water or milk... no juice of any description.

At the Huntly Farmers' Market I noticed they were selling Irn Bru Fudge!!!! YIKES....

Jam in a pressure cooker... I don't have a pressure cooker, but I think I might put that on my list of things to get. We used to use one all the time.

[2steps]

what they don't know they won't want, if they've never had a fizzy drink etc.. then how can they miss it?

totally agree. my mum used to think I was mean for not letting my son have sweets when he was tiny grrrr

Shirlz, my childrens school is the same. Each child has a bottle of water kept with them for the day:)

I don't actually pressure cook the jam, though I expect you can. Just use the pan as it's the biggest I have :)

[baldowrie]

My kids get a selection box for Christmas, as you do, but 2 weeks after Christmas they still at least half of the box left and often give mum some. My nieces on the other hand have the entire box finished Christmas morning

[Chickpea]

My mum told me I was a bad mother because I wouldn't give my under-one-year-old ice cream. She was absolutely serious.

[2steps]

yep, I hear you - and chocolate biscuits, sticky sweets, mcdonalds..... and I make them eat vegtables I don't make them, they like them as would most kids if they were given the chance and not taught to hate them

[Boots]

This is an interesting thread. Lots of different perspectives.

I gave/still give my girls icecream, but they also have to help me make it, which takes quite a bit of stirring. Have never had a machine. And we make our own soft drinks and cordials from our own lemons, limes and oranges. So, other than watching for a bit of a sugar or cream overload, I don't mind them eating those things.

My oldest daughter loves fruit and the tree by the gate is her favourite raid, as she hits it on the way out to school and again on the way back. Daughter number 2 is not so fussed on fruit as it comes, but likes fruit salad, sorbet, frozen fruit iceblocks etc and it quite happy preparing them.

Both girls were raised on pretty much the same foods, but they sure are different in their eating choices. And I often wonder why...
1 would happily chomp away on a whole roast chook/duck, or slap up a sandwich, while 2 will always prefer it presented as part of at least a 2 course 'meal' complete with 'colour' and garden garnish etc. No idea what that's about, really. Daughter 1 snacks all day, while 2 eats routinely. Number 1 is a snatch and grab kinda kid, so I have to keep healthy things handy or she will opt for heaps of carbs, because they are often easier to get/prepare. Number 2 likes cooking and always takes her time to prepare things and present things. She's not a fussy eater, but she is fussy in 'her' kitchen.

I'm not surprised about the carboot blackberries really... that is where the term industry came from, I figure... catering to those who can't be bothered growing, collecting, packing or promoting. Or whatever the service is. I love the thinking though. Heck that is a very industrious person... Why not park right next to them and just hand out bags for a pound instead?? LOL

When we consider that our kids primary teachers spend more time with our kids than we do, I figure its pretty important we call them up on things that work against our values and ethics. I love the fact that Aus promotes itsself as a multicultural society and figure that is my ticket to saying "Hey, this is our families culture you are stomping all over. How about you respect it?"

Every family has things, ideals and customs that are quite possibly unique to each family. Over the years my girls have received a lot of objection to their earrings, mainly because every other parent has complied. I don't believe my girls are attending school for a fashion appraisal and both had their ears peirced at 6 weeks of age. One school asked me to sign a disclaimer in the case of injury related to the earrings...LOL... yeah, no worries. That was in Grade 3 and my kid has successfully negotiated school through to Year 10 without any earring related tragedy.

I send in notes too... telling them to ring me, IF they have a REAL problem...LOL

Some wanky teachers at this school will make the kids remove their jumper in the middle of winter if it is not the right colour... We probably only have 1 month each year when a jumper is necessary...Fair go, sure I'm gonna spend $65 on a school jumper for that period of time...Nah, I just reminded them about their duty of care and they leave my kids alone. But a lot of other kids suffer in silence because their parents just say nothing, and either can't afford it or are unwilling to waste the money.

Ok. Have rambled on quite enough... please consider this all my posts for today and credit my post count ...

... or I will have to send Andy a note.

[multiveg]

It was a while ago when I walked passed KFC - there was an advert for one of its chicken products - "Breast is Best"

Unfortunately, hubby gives in quickly to my son who then gets fizzy drinks, junk food when out, crisps/snacks - if it is a multipack, my son has been known to demolish all 6 packets of crisps in one go (maybe over an hour).

[funkypixie]

I'm from the 'If you ban it, it makes it more appealing' school of thought. Forbidden fruit and all that.

Neither of my boys drink fizzy drinks - but neither have I banned them. We simply don't have them at home and they aren't offered them if we go out to eat. Chocolate/sweet intake is monitored - they've almost finished the chocolate they were given at Easter. Fruit is always on offer, crisps are there occasionally. They love white fish, home cooked chicken, growing their own veggie and pizza (home made or from pizza hut - they're not fussy!)

I'm pleased to say that my 2 have a pretty good idea of what's healthy and what's not and they eat a pretty balanced diet. They always get fruit/dried fruit and veggies in their lunchboxes, along with sandwiches, rice salad, crackers and ham or whatever. They also get the occasional penguin bar or packet of mini cheddars too. They know it is 'junk' but that as long as they eat the 'good' stuff they can have it sometimes.

What really gets my back up is when other people (ie the school) decide that they can tell me what to put in their lunchboxes. Since the beginning of term we have had three letters about things they don't like to see at lunchtime and I've had enough of it. Surely it is my decision? Both of my boys have a balanced, nutritious breakfast and dinner at home and if I decide to include a biscuit or crisps as part of their balanced packed lunch it is MY decision. Unless they're planning on providing lunch and paying for it too of course. GRRRRRR Can you tell I've been irritated?!

*Takes deep breath and refocuses*

OK. I believe that children should make their own minds up about what food they like/dislike and that they should be given the opportunity to do so. They should try everything! And as long as they are educated about food and not pandered to, the majority of them will be OK. Why do we start weaning our babies on 'babyrice' or flavourless gloop as I prefer to call it (where does that stuff appear in the national diet of any country btw?) instead of good vegetables? Surely that's starting on a bad footing?

I think that's enough from me. Sorry.

Anna x