If you were/are a parent and

ricksang · August 2010

the school your child went to offered few free (1-3) nutrition classes on the weekends for parents to learn about childhood nutrition, would you go? A registered dietitian would teach the class and ( whoever) would handout educational info for you to take home .The class would be fun and not just a boring lecture.

Pretend you don't know about childood nutrition (if you do)

jennylove810 · August 2010

Sure would.

betrothed123 · August 2010

I probably would. Then again, I don't have kids so you probably don't care about my opinion

JessAndTrav · August 2010

Yep. I would go.

Anysunrise · August 2010

I'm pretending to be a parent right now, and yeah, I totally would. I like to learn.

ricksang · August 2010

I care B!

ricksang · August 2010

This is all pretend.

baystateapple · August 2010

Yes.

AllAboutTheBenjamin · August 2010

Oh definitely I would.

ricksang · August 2010

This is awesome. Maybe my idea is a good one then!

betrothed123 · August 2010

Admit it, Ricks, if I don't have children you don't think I'm entitled to an opinion on how they should be raised

ohwhynot · August 2010

Yes! In fact, we need to make an appt with a dietician for our 10 year old son. Our local food co-op offered sessions with a "nutritionist" but it turned out she was really woo-woo and new age-y and believed some pretty goofy stuff.

ricksang · August 2010

B, you caught me! I can't hide my feeling from you :P

OWN good to know you like this idea!

jamiefour · August 2010

My FI's cousins girlfriend actually does something similar to this except she charges and she goes to peoples houses and cooks healthy meals with the kids and the parents. I don't know if this is similar to what ou mean but she does ok with it.
P.S. If I had kids I would like your idea.

NuggetBrain · August 2010

Yes. Even if you know the basics about nutrition, childhood nutirion is totally different from what an adult needs and I'd be more than willing to hear what I should be feeding my child.

ricksang · August 2010

Kind of like that Jamie, except the person would not get paid. It would be volunteer. IDK if this is even possible, I am just trying to brainstorm for a class.

anna.oskar · August 2010

I would attend if it was geared towards nutritional wellness.

I went to a class that I thought was going to be that way but, they spent the whole time berating the adults for ever allowing children to eat fast food or frozen meals that are higher in sodium and calories. Apparently, I'm an abusive individual because I allow my niece to have sweet desserts at home. They say we shouldn't even serve cake at birthday parties because it reinforces the belief that sweets make you happy.

i agree that standard McDonald's isn't really good for anyone. However, even 6 chicken nuggets, sm fries and a sm soda are okay once in a while if you have an otherwise balanced diet. Everyone needs to splurge sometimes.

i do understand that some parents make this a multiple times a week thing and i think that's wrong.

ohwhynot · August 2010

I really love the idea. The foods that are targeted toward kids are such crap BUT they are often quick to prepare and cheap. I think a lot of parents are wandering in the wilderness when it comes to feeding their families properly.

If a dietician could demonstrate how important AND how easy and inexpensive it can be to get and prepare foods that kids will actually eat . . . wow, that would be extremely wonderful.

Also, my son is a vegetarian but he's the worst kind of vegetarian because he doesn't actually like vegetables and fruits. Getting him to eat properly is a struggle every single day. We really do need some guidance and if we could get it through a school-based curriculum, that would be great.

npasquale16 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wereare-parent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:776251fb-b03a-4e4d-8db6-896c880e7f87Post:edd08215-e8f9-44d9-86c3-5f78871c04e4">Re: If you were/are a parent and</a>:
[QUOTE]I would attend if it was geared towards nutritional wellness. I went to a class that I thought was going to be that way but, they spent the whole time berating the adults for ever allowing children to eat fast food or frozen meals that are higher in sodium and calories. Apparently, I'm an abusive individual because I allow my niece to have sweet desserts at home.<strong> They say we shouldn't even serve cake at birthday parties because it reinforces the belief that sweets make you happy</strong>. i agree that standard McDonald's isn't really good for anyone. However, even 6 chicken nuggets, sm fries and a sm soda are okay once in a while if you have an otherwise balanced diet. Everyone needs to splurge sometimes. i do understand that some parents make this a multiple times a week thing and i think that's wrong.
Posted by anna.oskar[/QUOTE]

Wow.

I agree with Anna's observation, though. I'd be all for learning about nutrional wellness and what I can do to develop a healthy lifestyle for (future) kids. I wouldn't be down for "You're terrible for eating x, y, z" (<strong>NOT</strong> that I think that's your aim at all, Ricks).

pirategal03 · August 2010

Maybe.

If the details of the class and credentials of the instructor were laid out before, not just in a "come hear about childhood nutrition" way, but in a "come learn about childhood nutrition from a registered dietitian specializing in childhood development yadda yadda. The class will focus on..." way I'd probably consider it. Also depending on the timing. I'd be more likely to attend a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon session than a Saturday afternoon session.

There's a wellness expo tomorrow that my office is encouraged to attend, they're even letting us have an hour off to go. Most of the people I've talked to say they're not going because they don't see the value in a "wellness expo" because that isn't descriptive enough. One lady said "I don't need to drive over there on my lunch hour for them to tell me to eat right and exercise".

I use that example to say that it has to be marketed so that people see the value in the lession as it relates to them. If I couldn't tell "what's in it for me" then no, I wouldn't go.

september's bride · August 2010

I would go. I think it's a good resource for parents because kids do have different dietary requirements, and I know that while I could probably feed a child without too much difficulty, an added resource to help me along would be welcomed. I find that classes like these offer ways to disguise veggies and ways to encourage children to try new things. Ideas for negotiating with child terrorists are always welcome.

eastunder1 · August 2010

I bet most parents would say they would but when it came down to it, no they wouldn't. Weekend time is short to working families, and I think most people would like to believe they know how to properly feed their kids already whether they actually do or not. I think the children/parents who need this information the most would be the ones most unlikely to attend. I think something like this would get great buzz because thats the "right" answer, but very little actual turn out.

ricksang · August 2010

I would never berate and I would teach moderation, not exclusion. I would also try to help parents help make healthy but low priced food choices. I would try to touch on subjects like Vegetarianism, celiacs disease, and DM I and II, if I had time. I would also teach parents how to make healthyfood "fun" for children.

bbyckes · August 2010

I would be interested.

Even more so if we came away with recipes and a shopping list. It may sound remedial, but that helps out busy parents. Sometimes we go to "tried and true" when cooking for families because it's easy and requires less thought and working in new items can be difficult, but if there's an ounce of time saving, it would make all the difference.

ricksang · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wereare-parent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:776251fb-b03a-4e4d-8db6-896c880e7f87Post:d0c14145-cc3a-4636-8543-d7d0b3e5ba7a">Re: If you were/are a parent and</a>:
[QUOTE]Maybe. If the details of the class and credentials of the instructor were laid out before, not just in a "come hear about childhood nutrition" way, but in a "come learn about childhood nutrition from a registered dietitian specializing in childhood development yadda yadda. The class will focus on..." way I'd probably consider it. Also depending on the timing. I'd be more likely to attend a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon session than a Saturday afternoon session. There's a wellness expo tomorrow that my office is encouraged to attend, they're even letting us have an hour off to go. Most of the people I've talked to say they're not going because they don't see the value in a "wellness expo" because that isn't descriptive enough. One lady said "I don't need to drive over there on my lunch hour for them to tell me to eat right and exercise". I use that example to say that it has to be marketed so that people see the value in the lession as it relates to them. If I couldn't tell "what's in it for me" then no, I wouldn't go.
Posted by pirategal03[/QUOTE]

This is good advice!

ricksang · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wereare-parent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:776251fb-b03a-4e4d-8db6-896c880e7f87Post:9dc15532-15a8-4aac-8bce-9e2d3ab33906">Re: If you were/are a parent and</a>:
[QUOTE]I bet most parents would say they would but when it came down to it, no they wouldn't. Weekend time is short to working families, and I think most people would like to believe they know how to properly feed their kids already whether they actually do or not. I think the children/parents who need this information the most would be the ones most unlikely to attend. I think something like this would get great buzz because thats the "right" answer, but very little actual turn out.
Posted by eastunder1[/QUOTE]

First, I love the new bunny. Second- this is a good point. I am mostly thinking low income children and families.

ohwhynot · August 2010

Ang, if you're looking to do a volunteer outreach, you may want to offer individual sessions rather than a lecture/group format. Now that I think about it, I'd definitely sign up for a one-on-one to discuss my family's issues, but I'd be a lot less likely to attend a group session. A single one-on-one session would be a better use of my time and would be much more likely to yield information that is helpful to me than would 3 group sessions.

At our public school, we get fliers all the time for things that say "This is not a school-sponsored activity." I don't know if the public schools in your area allow for this kind of advertising/outreach, but it may be worth looking into.

ricksang · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wereare-parent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:776251fb-b03a-4e4d-8db6-896c880e7f87Post:b860d173-5747-4e41-9543-43ed3097e7d1">Re: If you were/are a parent and</a>:
[QUOTE]I would be interested. Even more so if we came away with recipes and a shopping list. It may sound remedial, but that helps out busy parents. Sometimes we go to "tried and true" when cooking for families because it's easy and requires less thought and working in new items can be difficult, but if there's an ounce of time saving, it would make all the difference.
Posted by bbyckes[/QUOTE]

No, I believe this is true too. I usually eat the same things every week b/c I am too busy to try to think of new ideas.

ricksang · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_wereare-parent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:776251fb-b03a-4e4d-8db6-896c880e7f87Post:4c6fd7f7-1262-4405-8bc9-44ddc6186d86">Re: If you were/are a parent and</a>:
[QUOTE]Ang, if you're looking to do a volunteer outreach, you may want to offer individual sessions rather than a lecture/group format. Now that I think about it, I'd definitely sign up for a one-on-one to discuss my family's issues, but I'd be a lot less likely to attend a group session. A single one-on-one session would be a better use of my time and would be much more likely to yield information that is helpful to me than would 3 group sessions. At our public school, we get fliers all the time for things that say "This is not a school-sponsored activity." I don't know if the public schools in your area allow for this kind of advertising/outreach, but it may be worth looking into.
Posted by ohwhynot[/QUOTE]

Well, I would have to wait until I get my RD certification to actually DO anything but this is a really good idea. I really want to volunteer some of my skills when I am ready to do so!

I am just trying to think of interventions for the low income school we are using for out group community nutrition project. I was thinking that maybe the parents might be a good starting point for the intervention.

ohwhynot · August 2010

Another idea, then, would be to go to churches that serve the population you are interested in reaching. Ask if you can do a presentation (or 2, or 3) directly after services on some Sunday.

You can also work with food pantries to initiate a food pyramid-based pantry. The one I volunteer at does NOT follow a food pyramid based distribution scheme, but according to the director many others in the country do. I'm not sure of all the details, but apparently clients are given "points" that are based on the food pyramid and can redeem those points so that on every visit they receive more grains, fruits & vegetables, whole foods, etc., and fewer fats & meats & sweets, etc.

You may offer your services on nutritional counseling to food pantry clients, too.

missy68 · August 2010

You may even be able to work with a school and offer it at a PTO night. My school used to do different learning stations for families to do different things together; maybe that would work. They could make a healthy snack (like ants on a log or something similar that would be fairly simple) and then you could talk and then send information home and recipes, etc.

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