Could You Be a Tiger Mom?

"Can a regimen of no playdates, no TV, no computer games and hours of music practice create happy kids? And what happens when they fight back?" -WST online

Since an excerpt of Amy Chua's forthcoming book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother was published in the Wall Street Journal online, I have been sent numerous links to this piece from friends. Everyone asking the questions: Have you seen this? What do you think? The debates about her book have certainly been fierce online.

While WeeMunch is primarily a place for food, we do think these issues and questions about parenting styles are connected. The decisions we make for and with our children on all levels speak to who we are as a person, and ultimately as a parent. This week we host a special edition of WeeMunch: a response to Chua's article by Pieta Woolley, a mother of two children, and a Vancouver-based freelance writer (formerly the staff writer at the Georgia Straight).

"As someone parented with the polar opposite of what Amy Chua employs with her children, I appreciated her perspective. The WSJ excerpt reminded me of two books I heartily agree with. First, Shop Class as Soul Craft (2006), by Matt Crawford. This motorcycle mechanic/ doctor of philosophy changed my ideas about the origin of self respect; he delivers the compelling argument that esteem comes from having marketable skills. I believe this is what Chua is driving at when she barks her children into achievement. Second, Hold Onto Your Kids (2004), by Vancouver doctors Gabor Mate and Gordon Neufeld. The duo offers a manifesto on the importance of orienting kids towards their parents, rather than their peers. Again, Chua seems to embody this when she restricts her children's friend time.

As a mom, I am fairly freaked out by the shrinking middle class in Canada. Two generations ago you could raise an average kid, and expect they'd grow up, get a good job, buy a house, and retire comfortably. No longer. So I'm shamelessly seeking strategies to inveigle my kiddies to excel.

Plus, with CPP under the axe, someone needs to pay my Whole Foods bill when I retire."

-Pieta Woolley

New Research Shows Going Organic Better for Kids

Do you constantly find you are defending your choice to buy organic produce, meats, and dairy to your friends and family? I do. We certainly can't afford to buy everything organic, but I do prioritize my shopping list by choosing to buy organic items instead when the conventional ones have been found to be laden with chemicals, dyes and hormones. WeeMunch has created a shopping list to help you here. And, as we suspected, there are other reasons to go organic. A recent article on MSNBC hightlights recent research that links ADHD to the consumption of pesticides in young children. Read it and weep!

Pesticides in Kids Linked to ADHD article

Get Inspired: Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

It's now a complete myth that you need a house and acreage to have a garden or for that matter a farm. One of my most favorite bloggers, Todd Selby, has recently expanded his practice to include photographing foodies in their kitchens, restaurants and urban farms. He recently photographed the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn, an urban oasis that offers educational programs, a farmers market, and special events.

Gardening, whether in your backyard or balcony, is one of the best ways to get your little ones connected with real, whole food at its very source. If you have any stories about gardening with your children or starting a garden/farm in an unlikely place, let us know. We would love to hear from you.

Key Links:

Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

The Selby: Eagle Street Rooftop Farm Photographs

EarthBox: Home Grown Vegetables Without a Garden

Image of Eagle Street Rooftop Farm by Todd Selby

All Hail the Yummy Green Smoothie

Happy 2011 WeeMunch readers!

Wishing you and yours a happy, prosperous and healthful year (full of healthy wee-foods :)

Yummy Green Smoothie (yes, it IS possible)

I have to admit I’m generally pretty skeptical towards supplement products that claim to provide essential nutrients; those often missing from our modern diets of refined/processed foods. And I think my skepticism is warranted as many are anything but nourishing. There are, however, a handful of holistic companies out there trying to make good products with (not ‘from’) real, whole foods. One of them is Vega and I recently found myself purchasing their product ‘Whole Food Smoothie Infusion’. I was feeling the need for some additional clean, green, easy-to-assimilate protein and I happened to sample it recently and found it quite palatable. I also liked the ingredient label.

Its flavour is sweet. Too sweet for my liking (they all are), so I use half of what they recommend. This smoothie enables us to get in an extra serving each of a seasonal, organic fruit and veggie - always a good thing, especially if you have a fussie foodie. Both of which are cleansing to our blood and digestive system as well as being simultaneously building and deeply nourishing.

Here’s the simple recipe Oskar and I have been enjoying lately:

1 scoop Vega Smoothie Infusion (instead of the 2 recommended scoops) * adjust to your liking
2 organic apples of choice
2-3 leaves of organic kale (any variety)
Approx. ¼ cup Ryza brown rice milk (it’s one of the best quality rice milk brands out there)

Approx. ¼ cup Organic Coconut milk *adjust to desired texture
a few ounces of Pineapple –optional

*You need a good blender/food processor to really grind down the fibrous kale; the smoother the better.

See another of our past smoothie posts for additional ideas.

Note: We do not have any special interest in any food producing companies. We just want to give a nod to the good ones.