Our 2015 (and beyond) Goals for Our Son

This post isn’t about me, but about my son.

I have been overweight for so many years.  Even in my younger years, I wasn’t ‘fat’ but was bigger than the other girls.  I know first hand how cruel and unhealthy being fat is.  I do NOT want that for my son.  Anyone that sees Truett, doesn’t think of him as fat but as a second grade 8 year old boythat weighs 105, I know he’s technically considered overweight.   Our doctor encourages me and says that as long as Truett is active, he’ll be fine.    I want to believe that, I really do, but having raised two other boys who were not his size as that age, I can’t help but to worry.  Maybe he’s different, I know.  Maybe he’s gonna take after my side of the family and be tall and have a growth spurt that makes him thin out….maybe.

In the mean time though, we as parents, will do everything we can to set good habits with him.  For starters, most everything we bought him for Christmas this year, requires him to be outside. He got a bike, recurve bow, golf clubs, and basketball goal.  Of course, with both of his older brothers not living at home anymore, it requires us to be outside as well.  And that’s a good thing, whether we feel like being out there or not.  When it’s not freezing, we are making fires outside and boy does Truett love to chop firewood.  It’s GREAT exercise and he thinks it’s fun.  Whatever we can do, right?

Food can be the devil.  I have no current plans on becoming Vegan or 100% GMO free or anything like that, but we will be conscious of portion control.   One of my goals for Truett (and us), is self-discipline when it comes to food.  For example….I don’t want to eliminate homemade cookies, but I do want to teach Truett that we can’t eat them all in two days.   He needs to understand how to make things last, not only because of what it puts on the hips but to be money conscious as well.  He needs to know that money doesn’t grow on trees around here and food is a precious commodity, especially with our finances.

Speaking of finances.  This is another area that needs improvement with him, and with us.   Doesn’t it seem that by your third child, you slack off a lot?  With my older boys living on their own or at college, we tend to let Truett get away with more, including when he asks for things.  I am putting a stop to his and our behavior.  Teaching him more about money is absolutely necessary.  He needs to understand what it means to earn, save, spend, and give.  While I don’t believe in paying for every day chores, I do think it’s a great idea to hire him to do certain things.  For example, he doesn’t need to be paid to ‘help’ feed horses.   Simply put, they need to be fed and that’s something he can HELP his dad do.  But let’s say my husband could use an extra hand fixing fence or a windmill.  We will hire Truett, paying minimum wage, to do the tasks that his Dad asks him to do.  I think if we can help do things, we should and there’s a fine line with Truett knowing that he SHOULD help, and wanting to be paid.  I think we’ll definitely get it across to him when one is more appropriate than the other.  With that said, by Truett earning money, he can learn how to use it.  I want him to learn how to put away money for charity, for savings, and seeing how he handles his ‘spend’ money.

Finally, we really want Truett to see more giving.  We want him to be involved in community services, church outreach, and just being kind.  Not that he isn’t giving, ’cause he is, but we really want to find more, specific activities to participate in.

I love him so much and just want the best for him, as I do for all my boys.  Here’s to a New Year of good health, wise choices, and kindness.