I am terrified of juice. I know, I know, a little OJ never killed anyone... or did it. I can't stop telling myself that fruit juice will make my kid fat. Even though my logical mind knows that some of the research behind that claim has been refuted, and there are some nutritional benefits to 100% fruit juice, I can't bring myself to welcome a jug of apple juice into our home. I long for the days of my youth when Kool-aid was cheap and delicious and considered "juice". Those were simpler times, when you could drink a half a gallon of Kool-aid because you had just spend 6 hours running around your backyard like a hyena on crack. Although it doesn't matter now, Miss M spends 9 hours a day indoors at daycare, and even when she's older and allowed to play outside it will be in short 1/2 hour increments. And after that, school recess and gym class just aren't what they used to be. When do kids with working parents ever get the chance to run? They don't, and hence why I think juice will make my kid fat. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. Better to stick to milk (with its high nutritional profile) and water, just in case.
People like to blame the proliferation of the Internet, video games, and satellite TV for our kids lack of exercise, but I contend that TV should not shoulder the load alone. I blame the media. (ha ha) But really, do you remember when it was OK to play outside - in your front yard - by yourself for hours on end? Ride your bike around the neighborhood by yourself? Would you ever dream of letting your six year old little girl play by herself in the front yard NOW? Now that that there is a new Amber Alert every other day, and sex offenders make the news every night? I have to assume that there were just as many sicko crazy people thirty years ago as there are today, we just didn't hear about them as often, and we weren't so afraid. BUT Fear in this case is a good thing, I wonder if there is actually fewer crimes against children now that we are all so attuned to the dangers of the outside world. Miss M will always be within my line of sight when outdoors, always. So no juice for Miss M, and no outdoors play without Mommy or Daddy, which leads me to ask again, when do kids with working parents ever get the chance to run?
I never realized how many kids activity classes actually take place during the week, during the day. How can we join ballet class if the lesson is at 3:30 Monday afternoon? Or tumbling at 10:30am on Tuesday? And there really is no time for these things at 6:00pm at night, which is when everyone is finally home and ready for dinner. If you are lucky enough to find weekend classes your kid ends up missing half the classes because you have trips to Grandmas or other commitments. In a time when two-income families are the rule instead of the exception, why is it so difficult to bring up good, healthy kids? Fast food on the way home from daycare, no time for the park because it's too dark out, sit them in front of the TV because you desperately have to get a couple loads of laundry done or you won't have clothes for work tomorrow. But heaven forbid, don't you dare consider taking more than 12 weeks of (unpaid) maternity leave, and don't even think about leaving at 3pm rather than 5pm even though your work for the day is done, and don't expect to be climbing any ladders any time soon now that your priorities are different.
Bet you never thought a glass of apple juice had such far-reaching implications on what's wrong with our American society? Clearly apple juice is the least of my concerns, and clearly some decisions need to be made soon. The decision against juice has been made though, good thing they sell milk in kiddie boxes now.
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