From DeAnna, Child's Age 11 - 09/16/02 - IP#: 205.188.209.xxx  Click here to reply  
I'ts 3a.m. and I am in tears writting this. After reading 5 pages of posts from other parents I feel horrible: guilt and embarrasment... a bad mom. My son Adrien is 11, he's 5'2 and 180lbs. I could sit and make excuses, blame the blame, but it all comes down to my fault. It's my fault he's overweight. It's my fault he eat's the wrong foods. It's my fault he gets teased at school. It's not like I feed him twinkies 6 times a day, I have trouble saying no. That kid could talk me out of anything, he's very good at it. He likes to bargin with me, I need a class on how to say "NO". NO-NO-NO... what a slap in the face to realize it's my fault he's miserable. Family and friends keep saying "he will out-grow it", "he'll get taller", "He's just a kid", "it's just babyfat", shame on me. And the doctors, telling me what to do, what not to do. Sitting there in judgement of me and my son. Are their children overweight? Do they live with a child that can convince you that they are starving, when you know they are not; Finding food wrappers tucked into great hiding places? I doubt it.
Reply from Tina, Child's Age 9 - 08/21/03  - IP#: 64.12.96.xxx
Parenting is not an easy job for anyone. Kids (especially boys) don't like to have to listen to mom. I am sure that you are doing the best that you can. We all come from different places and lifestyles
that we learn from. One important thing that I've learnt in dealing with my child - I try to follow the advice of the doctor. My mother also says "he's growing taller" and "he'll grow out of it". I told her that she had her chance to parent. I've learnt that she was wrong about alot of things. It was hard to hear the doctor tell me that he was overweight-but if he didn't tell me, I may have thought that he was fine.
After our first visit to the doctor, we went back and he lost 6 lbs-everytime he was insistent on overeating compulsively I told him beforehand that he need to go on the treadmill first. That worked for a little while, now we do tennis. I'm still working at it. Good luck