For those of you with young children, the end of summer has come and your children have headed back to school.  It is a time not only for looking forward to so many new things, but also for some new worries and anxieties for parents and children. We know that our kids will be worrying about their new teachers and how much homework they will get and if they will make friends. We worry about those same things for them along with safety and health concerns…and in the worry and anxiety department, for me anyway, the list goes on and on.

One of my biggest challenges as a parent has been learning to let go of some of the control. When dealing with children, we all know that the more you insist on keeping tight control of every little detail, the more frustrated you will become. Just like we can’t keep our toddlers from being covered in ice cream when having their first cone ( I tried), we can’t prevent them from experiencing many of life’s pitfalls. I remember after my son started walking, and then wanted to run everywhere but wasn’t completely steady. I would hold my breath, certain that just one mistep and Ben would trip and either break an arm or leg or fall on his face and crack a tooth or break his nose. In my mind, we were always one step away from the emergency room. I had to learn to relax so that my kids could relax and enjoy the park and the playground with abandon instead of feeding off of my worries. My husband has successfully convinced me over the years that suffering some cuts and bruises, and even some broken bones is just part of the journey. Our kids need to fall and learn how to pick themselves up and let that be an ongoing metaphor in their towards adulthood.

Since food seems to be an ongoing topic with me, this whole concept of not exerting too much control but rather just offering guidance also comes into play with the food choices that our kids will be making as they return to school. Once kids are eating school lunch and playing at other children’s houses, they will have choices to make and we need to equip them to make the best choice, without making them crazy. Having struggled as an obese child myself, I have worked hard to stress health and nutrition with my own kids rather than talk about dieting or numbers on the scale. Like so many other aspects of parenting, this is a fine line to walk. I recently read a New York Times article which I found helpful in defining the line when it comes to our kids and healthy eating habits. I hope you find it helpful!