As I am sitting here counting down the days to Christmas, I first stop to celebrate my college son coming home for Christmas break.  I can’t wait to see that boy!  He called the other night, to let me know that I probably could have passed his Biology final because there were all sorts of questions about GMOs.  He was proud that he knew a lot about the subject already and even has jokes about the subject that he and I share.

 

That got me to thinking………………

What are the life lessons that I would like to pass on to my children?  My family provides an interesting perspective on life.  I have my older boys who are getting closer and closer to making
their way in this world without me and I have my younger two who still need me to pour milk for them in the morning.  This gives me the opportunity to reflect on the lessons that I have taught my children and make sure they are the ones that really matter.

Of course, I want my children to know love.  I will consider myself a successful parent if my children know my love and have the ability to love others.  I also want my children to be the type of people who are considerate of other people’s feelings.  I hope they don’t judge by outward appearances or stereotypes.  I hope they are confident enough in themselves to choose their friends based on who they are and not simply because they can benefit in status from being their friend.

I also want them to have an understanding of the real world.  I want them to understand that they should work hard and that paying bills on time is a good thing.  I also want them to understand food.  Most of us (not all) grow up understanding that food tastes good.  That’s not enough for me.  I want my children to really understand what good nutrition is about.  I want them to know that they can reduce their risk for chronic illness and certain diseases if they eat meals that are well balanced and free of chemicals.  I want them to live very long lives so this is very important to me.  I know that what I feed them now and their relationship with food will make a difference in their lives.

 

So much of this nutrition information I have only recently learned.  I wish I knew more when my older boys were younger.  GMOs were introduced to mainstream America about the time they were born.  I certainly did not know that I was feeding my children Genetically Modified Organisms.  That might have caused me to take pause.  To think that what I feed my children, not only affects them, but may also affect their children and even their ability to have children.  Wow!  It blows my mind.  I really want to be a grandmother (some day).  That is what motivates me to make homemade meals at 10:00 at night for the next night, rather than eating fast or highly processed GMO food.  I don’t care so much what we look like, but I do want us to be healthy.

While I am doing the happy dance that my college son is coming home.  Go ahead and picture it…………..it’s pretty funny.  I am mindful that I need to teach my children the importance of nutrition and food preparation.  I love to do for them, but I also need to teach them so that someday they can do for themselves and their families.

Thanks for checking in again with us.  I hope that through my family’s story, others are motivated to make changes in their lives.  Small changes can bring huge rewards…….now and in your future.  Make sure you register your email, so you don’t miss the next episode.  You can also join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @Jugglngrealfood.  If you enjoy Pinterest, you can also find us there.