Letting Go
Parenting and What We Can Do
Hi Friends,
We hope your year has started off well! We’re so glad you’re part of the Sunny Side Up Nutrition Community.
Anna, here! The East Coast is preparing for a snow/ice storm that we’re told will greatly interrupt our regular schedules this weekend and next week. When events like this arise, whether it’s a storm, jury duty, or family illness, I find my self feeling frustrated - this isn’t what my plan is. This may sound silly, but I have to actively remind myself there are simply things outside of my control. There is nothing I can do about the weather and the potential for kids to be home for several days.
The truth is, all of parenting is like this. We have much less control than diet culture and popular parenting advice want us to believe. We can provide love, care, support, boundaries and structure, but ultimately we don’t have complete control over what our children do or how the develop.
Feeding children is no different. As parents, we can provide meals and snacks with a variety of foods but we can’t determine what our children will eat or how much. And we can provide opportunities for health promoting behaviors, but the truth is our actions and behaviors don’t determine everything about our or our children’s health. We’re here to support our children in learning to eat well and take care of their bodies, but it isn’t our job or in our ability to determine all of the outcomes.
If you’re someone who feels like you’re carrying the weight of it all on your shoulders, (ie. Making sure your child eats a variety foods, but not too much food! Or you feel responsible for your child’s body weight or physical fitness.) remind yourself today that you are not in control of those things. Like anything in development, your job is to provider structure and support for your child and you can trust your child will learn and grow and you’ll be there to support them when things don’t go as planned.
Recipes for Cold, Snowy Days
With the impeding East Coast storm, we thought we’d share with you some easy recipes that will warm you inside and out.
What Content Would You Like to See in 2026?
Comment below or reply to this email to let us know what content you’d like to see this year!
If you’re expecting winter weather this weekend, stay safe and warm.
Elizabeth & Anna
Such great reminders. And those recipes sound amazing!
Good luck weathering this storm!