62 Australian Child Carers Forum » User Favorites: stacey en-US Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:31:00 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://www.australianchildcarers.com.au/forum/search.php http://www.australianchildcarers.com.au/forum/topic/21#post-53 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:17:54 +0000 stacey 53@http://www.australianchildcarers.com.au/forum/ <p>child obesity is a subject that I have strong opinions about. In my time working in childcare I have been in centres where the meals were provided and where the children brought in a packed lunch. Every centre I have been in there is a policy in place about nut free and healthy options/no junk food. However it has only been the centres that provide meals that I have seen follow these policies. Being an assistant I find it extremely frustrating that to avoid a confrontation with a parent most GL's I have worked with have turned a blind eye to the contents in some childrens lunch box's. I have raised my concerns with my colleagues stating to them that when a childs eating habits are formed in the first 5 years of their life aren't we in the prime position to encourage them to have good practices? Most people are happier to just give what the parents have supplied and not "rock the boat". So for what use is our healthy eating policies?<br /> But on the other hand: I am also a parent and I can understand why we are a bit slack in encouraging good eating (we meaning us parents). I too understand that when having to get ready for work in the morning as well as 3 children it is easier to throw those pre packaged goodies in the lunch box along with a sandwich, apple and popper. Big hats off though to all those schools promoting healthy eating in the tuckshops by only having very little junk food on the menu. My daughter likes to eat her apples when she can take it to the tuckshop and get it made into a slinky. Tuckshop is still a big novelty these days and I am rest assured that I the kids are eating well. But back to defending the working parent: With the ever increasing pressures of today's society when both parents have to work to make ends meet (and then after paying 5 days of childcare one parents wage is only contributing $50 to the household income) I understand at the end of the day when you have children demanding attention and you are trying to squeeze in quality family time between 6pm and 7pm cooking dinner is the last thing you want to do especially when you can pick up a pizza on the way home for less then what it would cost you to make steak and three veg that the kids won't eat anyway. </p> http://www.australianchildcarers.com.au/forum/topic/21#post-50 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 03:04:34 +0000 nicole 50@http://www.australianchildcarers.com.au/forum/ <p><a href="http://www.australianchildcarers.com.au/news/2007/10/23/childhood-obesity/">Read childhood obesity story.</a></p> <p>I think due to higher costs in sport, food and families paying off morgages this has become a problem in or country. Both parents are working more and have less change to pay the expenses of their child/ren to play sport. I have also noticed the price of my weekly shopping bill going up due to purchasing fruit and vegetables that have had a price hike. What can we do about it? Get outside with our children more often, realise there is more to life then having everything, and I can tell you even if it isn't for weight reasons your children will love having you outdoors spending time with them. </p>