We took our boys to a WWII air show at our local airport. We enjoyed the display of planes, toured two bombers, and then joined the throng of people packed along the airstrip. Stunt planes flew crazy loops in the sky and parachute jumpers floated down like petals.
Right in front of me was a family with two small children. The little girl (about age 1 1/2) sat in the stroller screaming, but not from the sound of the planes like I first thought.
The mother was holding a can of Pepsi with a straw in it. Every time she tried to take the soda away from her baby, the little girl would scream and reach both hands out for the can. So the mother would give it back to her to drink.
This continued on for the 20 minutes I stood there watching the planes. The baby must have drank at least half of the can full of soda. I wanted to scream at the mother myself. I was seriously tempted to ask her what in the world she was thinking. If we hadn’t been packed in like cattle, and I could’ve said something without making a scene, I would’ve confronted her.
In case you didn’t know, every 8-ounce serving of Pepsi has 25 milligrams of caffeine and 28 grams of sugar (7 teaspoons) – plus high fructose corn syrup, phosphoric acid, citric acid, and caramel coloring. Empty calories and additives. Just what I’d want my child to drink.
Before you give your kids “kid food” – like sodas, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc. – take a look at the ingredients. Please think about the nutrition you’re putting in their little bodies. No matter how much they beg, their health is highest priority. And the eating habits you set them up with now will affect them for the rest of their lives.
