Small switch - big difference

natalyaborqo (66)in #life • 9 years ago

LITTLE SWITCHES THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE: I've been trying to teach my children to let go, move along- essentially to deal with the sometimes unexpected changes that we encounter in our daily lives.

I want my children to grow into the kind of adult who rolls with punches, who can weather the storms and twists and turns of life. I want a child who can take whatever lemons life has handed them and make the best gosh darn lemonade on the market- and turn a profit too! You get my drift. But they're just one and five years old so I have to start small. Those of you with little kids know how difficult it is to make even tiny changes in their routine. After all, we are conditioned and condition them to create and maintain routines and schedules with little room for spontaneity or creativity.

So where do I start? I began by making a few little switches here and there- the old switcheroo!

Switcheroo #1: Whole-wheat and whole grains instead of white. I want my children to cultivate good habits from early. I didn't switch to brown bread right away especially with the 5 year old but started with white wheat so he was none the wiser. Switcheroo successful!

Switcheroo #2: Water instead of sugary juices and soda. We have reduced soda to a special occasion drink for birthdays and Christmas but now I have reduced the juice intake to two glasses per day for the entire family and increased our water intake. It really wasn't so hard and I can see the difference in my beautifully hydrated skin. Switcheroo successful!

Switcheroo #3 Generics instead of brand name. I only started this recently when there was the big recall of children's cold medicine. My daughter had a cold with fever at the time and under the advice of the pharmacist I was forced to switch to a generic children's brand. My small switch yielded the same results as big brand. Swicheroo successful! (Though I hasten to add that this is not always the case).

Switcheroo #4 Reading instead of TV. I have successfully reduced my son's television time and replaced it with books. Now we hardly even turn on the TV anymore and my son is an excellent reader. As for the baby- well all studies show that television time should be limited before age 2, so she doesn’t’ even care if the TV is on or not. Switcheroo successful! These are just a few of the switches that I have made in my family that have impacted our lives for the better. I'd love to hear some of yours.