Well, I have a new respect for the flu. Having been in bed, under the covers, and asleep for several days this week, I have a new attitude toward the flu. And the flu shot. We are ALL getting them next year, for sure. As soon as they come out. Is it October? November? We'll be in line next year. It was a miserable week.
However, there are a few positive aspects. Thank you, Kevin. For stepping in 110% to take care of the kids, do the laundry, run carpool, take the kids to the doctor, manage Lucy's rescheduled birthday party, and oh yea, still run the shop.
The greatest was when Kevin pedaled his bike to B&B pharmacy to get my Tamiflu prescription filled. Thank god for that wonder drug. I never thought I'd feel this way about a medicine, but I think it pulled me out of the worst of the flu and brought me back to the land of the living. I went from crying on the couch asking for my mom to actually sitting upright on the couch and talking normally. Whew, what a difference 24 hours and some serious meds can make. I am grateful for and respect modern medicine.
Now I am dreaming of spring and perhaps, just maybe, a week without someone in the house being sick?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Thank you Betty!
Betty Crocker that is. How else was I supposed to make 50 cupcakes on a Wednesday night for Lucy's 100th day party in Kindergarten? Whew. Thank you Betty Crocker.
I love to make things from scratch and pretend that I can do it all sometimes. But this was not one of those times. So the respect connection here is respect for myself and my time. I know my limits. And I bet the kids will still love the cupcakes even though they came from a box. Happy 100th day of Kindergarten Lucy!
I love to make things from scratch and pretend that I can do it all sometimes. But this was not one of those times. So the respect connection here is respect for myself and my time. I know my limits. And I bet the kids will still love the cupcakes even though they came from a box. Happy 100th day of Kindergarten Lucy!
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Laziness or respect?
I think it's a bit of both. There are two strategies I've been using lately to, let's say, foster creativity and self-sufficiency in my children.
The first development was the creation of two self-serve snack stations. One for dry goods in the cupboard and one in the fridge. I stocked each station with mom-approved snacks in single serve portions. I was tired of answering the call of "Mom, I'm hungry! Can I have a snack?"
When I introduced the new system to my 6 year old Lucy, the look of thrill and anticipation was heartwarming. She was so excited -- and proud -- that she now had control over her snacks. And since they were all pre-approved, I didn't have to worry about what she was eating. She couldn't believe that she could get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. (There were a few parameters though. I discourage her snacking after about 4 o'clock when it could interfere with dinner. This is also helping on learning to tell time.)
And since there is a picture, I'll confess that I let some of my usual "envrio-standards" slide. Single serve fruit cups means a few more #5 plastic cups I save for painting or a trip to the recycling center at Greenlife. And packets of Cheez-Its, but man, they are good! The bottom line is she is proud of her independence and it buys me a few more minutes to do whatever I was doing instead of dishing up yet another snack. Respect connection: helping kids help themselves.
The second development was the creation of an activity jar. I've seen variations in other blogs, like The Artful Parent. But after days (or it seemed like weeks) of snow and simultaneously, a week of two kids with the flu, I needed help. So, I resurrected the idea of an activity jar. Lucy and I sat down and cut little strips of paper. As she named all the activities she would like to do, I wrote one on each slip of paper, folded it up, and put in the jar.
Some of the activities are: make a fairy house, play hide and seek, make up a song, bake cookies, do a science experiment with water, write a letter, color, and have a picnic and so on.
So with Daddy and and Gardner napping, now was my time to practice what I preach. Into the jar her little hand went. What was it going to be? Make a fairy house. She was thrilled, I was thinking, "Do I really have to bundle up and go outside? A second cup of coffee sounds better." But I rallied and we headed outside to build a fairy house. It was fantastic. We collected twigs and branches, flowers and berries. We constructed the main house, complete with a hammock for the fairies to nap in and a coat rack to hang their little acorn caps. We made a door out of woven vines and added a cranberry doorknob. She decorated it all with dried flowers and leaves and lavender (a bit frosty, but still good.) Lastly, there was the outdoor table for the fairies with a leaf umbrella from a hydrangea bush, just in case it rained. Lucy said it was the best day ever.
Then inside for yet another activity from the jar! We were on a roll. This time, it was bake cookies. Lucy suggested oatmeal chocolate chip. Sounded like a winner to me. We whipped up a batch and woke up Daddy with warm cookies. Gardner got to taste-test some too after his nap. I think they passed the test.
How does this connect to respect? For me, it's about letting Lucy lead the way and being willing to set aside what I wanted to do for just a brief moment. It turned out to be one of the best days I'd had with her in a long time. It felt great. For both of us.
The first development was the creation of two self-serve snack stations. One for dry goods in the cupboard and one in the fridge. I stocked each station with mom-approved snacks in single serve portions. I was tired of answering the call of "Mom, I'm hungry! Can I have a snack?"
When I introduced the new system to my 6 year old Lucy, the look of thrill and anticipation was heartwarming. She was so excited -- and proud -- that she now had control over her snacks. And since they were all pre-approved, I didn't have to worry about what she was eating. She couldn't believe that she could get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. (There were a few parameters though. I discourage her snacking after about 4 o'clock when it could interfere with dinner. This is also helping on learning to tell time.)
And since there is a picture, I'll confess that I let some of my usual "envrio-standards" slide. Single serve fruit cups means a few more #5 plastic cups I save for painting or a trip to the recycling center at Greenlife. And packets of Cheez-Its, but man, they are good! The bottom line is she is proud of her independence and it buys me a few more minutes to do whatever I was doing instead of dishing up yet another snack. Respect connection: helping kids help themselves.
The second development was the creation of an activity jar. I've seen variations in other blogs, like The Artful Parent. But after days (or it seemed like weeks) of snow and simultaneously, a week of two kids with the flu, I needed help. So, I resurrected the idea of an activity jar. Lucy and I sat down and cut little strips of paper. As she named all the activities she would like to do, I wrote one on each slip of paper, folded it up, and put in the jar. Some of the activities are: make a fairy house, play hide and seek, make up a song, bake cookies, do a science experiment with water, write a letter, color, and have a picnic and so on.
So with Daddy and and Gardner napping, now was my time to practice what I preach. Into the jar her little hand went. What was it going to be? Make a fairy house. She was thrilled, I was thinking, "Do I really have to bundle up and go outside? A second cup of coffee sounds better." But I rallied and we headed outside to build a fairy house. It was fantastic. We collected twigs and branches, flowers and berries. We constructed the main house, complete with a hammock for the fairies to nap in and a coat rack to hang their little acorn caps. We made a door out of woven vines and added a cranberry doorknob. She decorated it all with dried flowers and leaves and lavender (a bit frosty, but still good.) Lastly, there was the outdoor table for the fairies with a leaf umbrella from a hydrangea bush, just in case it rained. Lucy said it was the best day ever.
Then inside for yet another activity from the jar! We were on a roll. This time, it was bake cookies. Lucy suggested oatmeal chocolate chip. Sounded like a winner to me. We whipped up a batch and woke up Daddy with warm cookies. Gardner got to taste-test some too after his nap. I think they passed the test. How does this connect to respect? For me, it's about letting Lucy lead the way and being willing to set aside what I wanted to do for just a brief moment. It turned out to be one of the best days I'd had with her in a long time. It felt great. For both of us.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Long time
It's been a long time since I posted to this blog. Years in fact. But I can't stop thinking about the respect connection lately. It's waking me up at night and distracting me while I drive. Maybe it's because I'm back to work in the non-profit world. This time, taking on the challenge of how to reduce the impact of childhood poverty in our community.
So much of what we talk about has an undercurrent of respect. Or lack of respect. And right now, we are starting with listening and understanding. We recently finished up a listening project where we interviewed over 150 low-income people. After analyzing the data and reflecting on the stories, we are at a point where we are starting to share what we heard.
Yesterday I presented our findings to a group of of leaders in our community. What I was most proud of is that I upheld my commitment to the people we interviewed. They asked what we were going to do with their information and the stories they so openly and honestly shared. I said that part of the process would be to share their stories to people who have no idea about poverty. To educate others who don't deal with poverty or don't think about it on a regular basis. To start the conversation that we do have poverty in our community and here are real stories, from real people about what it's like to live on the edge. Or below the edge of poverty.
Their voices need to be heard and their stories need to be shared. For me, it was a moment of respect and I was proud to be a part of it. It's a start. A respect connection between different communities.
So much of what we talk about has an undercurrent of respect. Or lack of respect. And right now, we are starting with listening and understanding. We recently finished up a listening project where we interviewed over 150 low-income people. After analyzing the data and reflecting on the stories, we are at a point where we are starting to share what we heard.
Yesterday I presented our findings to a group of of leaders in our community. What I was most proud of is that I upheld my commitment to the people we interviewed. They asked what we were going to do with their information and the stories they so openly and honestly shared. I said that part of the process would be to share their stories to people who have no idea about poverty. To educate others who don't deal with poverty or don't think about it on a regular basis. To start the conversation that we do have poverty in our community and here are real stories, from real people about what it's like to live on the edge. Or below the edge of poverty.
Their voices need to be heard and their stories need to be shared. For me, it was a moment of respect and I was proud to be a part of it. It's a start. A respect connection between different communities.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Buy Informed
Buy Local. I’d add Buy Informed. Asheville has a strong buy local campaign and I do what I can to support it. But I just got back from a two week trip to Guatemala that gave me another perspective on my purchasing power.
I visited three different farms and fincas (plantations) in and around Antigua, Guatemala. La Azotea is an organic coffee plantation. Valhalla is an organic macadamia nut farm. I also toured a poinsettia factory. And all are amazing.
Café Justo
I am a coffee drinker. I love it. But seeing it grow on the tree and pluck off a little red berry was a whole new experience. Squeeze the ripe berry and out pops the green coffee bean, wrapped in a clear, sweet jelly-like mess. These are arabica beans, like they grow all over Guatemala. Shade grown and harvested once a year by hand. They are picked, washed, processed, dried, and roasted all right there. I put my hand in a pile of green beans drying in the sun. I watched men shovel dried coffee bean husks they use for organic mulch. I smelled fresh coffee – roasted exactly 18 minutes to perfection. I bought several pounds of coffee right then and there.
From now on I don’t think I’ll ever purchase generic coffee again. And I don’t have the heart to pour out a half drunk cup either – because I think of the people that actually picked my coffee by hand. I will buy informed.
Flower Power
Seventy-five percent (75%) of all poinsettias sold in the US get their start in Guatemala. I toured a poinsettia plantation where rows of greenhouses are tucked in the valley between two volcanoes. It is powerful and beautiful. Agua towers one side, while Fuego steams on the other.
Two greenhouses are for propagation. Patricia, the propagation guru, gave us a tour. I have never seen anyone as proud of root shoots and plant starts as she was. She loves her job. The other 30 or so greenhouses are used to grow the poinsettias. Although no one on the Guatemala side of the business actually sees the poinsettias flower. They grow and export them before they flower. Businesses in the US buy the plants and grow them to the flowering point and sell them under the “Made in the USA” label. Nothing wrong with that, but I like knowing how it all got started.
Women and men from local villages walk, ride a bike, or carpool to the plantation. They dip their boots in water before going in and out of each greenhouse to wash off any potential contamination. They wear rubber gloves and hold plastic bags full of clippings and leaves, as they work methodically along the rows of plants. They look for any imperfection or infestation. They water and fertilize. Pinch and cut back. They tend hundreds of thousands of plants by hand.
Next Christmas when I buy a Freedom Red or Prestige poinsettia at Home Depot or Wal-Mart, I will be proud to know that I saw where they got their start. And I know all the work it took to make this little plant grow. I will buy informed.
The Miracle Nut
The Valhalla Organic Macadamia Nut farm is a little ways outside Antigua. I made this tour with a busload of other students from the PROBIGUA language school. There is no electricity on the farm. They gather the nuts after they fall naturally from the tree. The nuts are dried on racks – you know when they are ready when you shake them and you hear the nut rattle inside. The nuts are sorted by hand and then the shells are cracked open using a human-powered machine.
But what they were really selling at Valhalla were the health and beauty benefits of macadamias. I heard everything from they prevent cancer to erase wrinkles. A miracle nut!
I thought macadamias just grew in Hawaii. Once again, I learned something new. I connected the people and the plants. I don’t regularly buy macadamia nuts, but the next time I do, I will buy informed.
I visited three different farms and fincas (plantations) in and around Antigua, Guatemala. La Azotea is an organic coffee plantation. Valhalla is an organic macadamia nut farm. I also toured a poinsettia factory. And all are amazing.
Café Justo
I am a coffee drinker. I love it. But seeing it grow on the tree and pluck off a little red berry was a whole new experience. Squeeze the ripe berry and out pops the green coffee bean, wrapped in a clear, sweet jelly-like mess. These are arabica beans, like they grow all over Guatemala. Shade grown and harvested once a year by hand. They are picked, washed, processed, dried, and roasted all right there. I put my hand in a pile of green beans drying in the sun. I watched men shovel dried coffee bean husks they use for organic mulch. I smelled fresh coffee – roasted exactly 18 minutes to perfection. I bought several pounds of coffee right then and there.
From now on I don’t think I’ll ever purchase generic coffee again. And I don’t have the heart to pour out a half drunk cup either – because I think of the people that actually picked my coffee by hand. I will buy informed.
Flower Power
Seventy-five percent (75%) of all poinsettias sold in the US get their start in Guatemala. I toured a poinsettia plantation where rows of greenhouses are tucked in the valley between two volcanoes. It is powerful and beautiful. Agua towers one side, while Fuego steams on the other.
Two greenhouses are for propagation. Patricia, the propagation guru, gave us a tour. I have never seen anyone as proud of root shoots and plant starts as she was. She loves her job. The other 30 or so greenhouses are used to grow the poinsettias. Although no one on the Guatemala side of the business actually sees the poinsettias flower. They grow and export them before they flower. Businesses in the US buy the plants and grow them to the flowering point and sell them under the “Made in the USA” label. Nothing wrong with that, but I like knowing how it all got started.
Women and men from local villages walk, ride a bike, or carpool to the plantation. They dip their boots in water before going in and out of each greenhouse to wash off any potential contamination. They wear rubber gloves and hold plastic bags full of clippings and leaves, as they work methodically along the rows of plants. They look for any imperfection or infestation. They water and fertilize. Pinch and cut back. They tend hundreds of thousands of plants by hand.
Next Christmas when I buy a Freedom Red or Prestige poinsettia at Home Depot or Wal-Mart, I will be proud to know that I saw where they got their start. And I know all the work it took to make this little plant grow. I will buy informed.
The Miracle Nut
The Valhalla Organic Macadamia Nut farm is a little ways outside Antigua. I made this tour with a busload of other students from the PROBIGUA language school. There is no electricity on the farm. They gather the nuts after they fall naturally from the tree. The nuts are dried on racks – you know when they are ready when you shake them and you hear the nut rattle inside. The nuts are sorted by hand and then the shells are cracked open using a human-powered machine.
But what they were really selling at Valhalla were the health and beauty benefits of macadamias. I heard everything from they prevent cancer to erase wrinkles. A miracle nut!
I thought macadamias just grew in Hawaii. Once again, I learned something new. I connected the people and the plants. I don’t regularly buy macadamia nuts, but the next time I do, I will buy informed.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Cafeteria Respect
The Child Nutrition Director for Asheville City Schools has been circulating a letter that she’s asking everyone to sign on to and send to our local legislators. The North Carolina legislature added $25 per student to the proposed budget to help cover the costs of meeting the new healthy nutrition standards in elementary schools. The trick now is to get our elected officials to keep that funding in the budget.
As the Child Nutrition Director explained, this is important for several reasons. While $25 per student won’t cover what it really costs to feed a child healthy meals for the year, it opens the door. Until now, they have not gotten anything like this from the local government. It opens the door to requesting more funding later and also for expanding the program to reach middle schools.
A few weeks ago I facilitated a workshop session focused on how to overcome obstacles to healthy eating in schools. All of the participants in my small group were child nutrition staff – from a director to a cook. They struggled to find things they could actually control and change. It takes a lot of time to prepare fresh produce and healthy meals from scratch. Often they go straight from cleaning up breakfast to quickly preparing for the lunch rush. The stringent storage regulations, calorie standards, and financial guidelines create a very small box for the child nutrition staff in which to operate. They want to do things differently, but bump up against the familiar obstacles of time and money.
Then the Asheville Child Nutrition Director stood up and offered a chance for change. She told the group about this proposed budget and how it could start to make a difference for them. When the small groups reported back to all the workshop participants, she told the large group about this letter. Everyone eagerly asked for copies and wanted to know how they could help spread the word.
Why is this so important? There’s a pervasive misunderstanding about how school food works. The Child Nutrition programs in schools run like independent businesses. They get their funding from the federal reimbursements for free and reduced lunches: $2.40/free lunch, $2.00/reduced lunch, and $0.23/paid lunch. On that income, they pay salaries, purchase all the food, buy supplies, and pay schools for “the privilege of doing business” on-site. The common notion is that school cafeterias get big chunks of money from school districts. Not so. And the reimbursement rates are so low, that’s why cafeterias usually have to resort to selling a la carte items to make some real income.
It’s a tangled mess. But I’m encouraged by the fact that the NC Health & Wellness Trust Fund is creating a study committee to investigate this issue – school lunch reimbursement rates and the financial challenges of Child Nutrition Programs. It’s a serious issue that needs some serious attention.
Critics (usually parents) are too quick to jump on cafeteria staff and say that school food stinks. Maybe there needs to be a public relations campaign to market all the good work being done. For example, Asheville City Schools sources nearly 20 products, such as sweet potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce, from local farmers in the region. Schools feature attractively presented salad plates and cashiers nudge students to buy a piece of fruit instead of candy. I hear first hand from the Child Nutrition staff that they are doing the best they can with limited resources and I know they deserve our respect. A great start would be for NC residents to send the letter "Healthy Children for the 21st Century" to your local legislator, then pass the word on to a friend. (See my blog entry with the same title for a copy of the letter and link to the NC General Assembly.)
As the Child Nutrition Director explained, this is important for several reasons. While $25 per student won’t cover what it really costs to feed a child healthy meals for the year, it opens the door. Until now, they have not gotten anything like this from the local government. It opens the door to requesting more funding later and also for expanding the program to reach middle schools.
A few weeks ago I facilitated a workshop session focused on how to overcome obstacles to healthy eating in schools. All of the participants in my small group were child nutrition staff – from a director to a cook. They struggled to find things they could actually control and change. It takes a lot of time to prepare fresh produce and healthy meals from scratch. Often they go straight from cleaning up breakfast to quickly preparing for the lunch rush. The stringent storage regulations, calorie standards, and financial guidelines create a very small box for the child nutrition staff in which to operate. They want to do things differently, but bump up against the familiar obstacles of time and money.
Then the Asheville Child Nutrition Director stood up and offered a chance for change. She told the group about this proposed budget and how it could start to make a difference for them. When the small groups reported back to all the workshop participants, she told the large group about this letter. Everyone eagerly asked for copies and wanted to know how they could help spread the word.
Why is this so important? There’s a pervasive misunderstanding about how school food works. The Child Nutrition programs in schools run like independent businesses. They get their funding from the federal reimbursements for free and reduced lunches: $2.40/free lunch, $2.00/reduced lunch, and $0.23/paid lunch. On that income, they pay salaries, purchase all the food, buy supplies, and pay schools for “the privilege of doing business” on-site. The common notion is that school cafeterias get big chunks of money from school districts. Not so. And the reimbursement rates are so low, that’s why cafeterias usually have to resort to selling a la carte items to make some real income.
It’s a tangled mess. But I’m encouraged by the fact that the NC Health & Wellness Trust Fund is creating a study committee to investigate this issue – school lunch reimbursement rates and the financial challenges of Child Nutrition Programs. It’s a serious issue that needs some serious attention.
Critics (usually parents) are too quick to jump on cafeteria staff and say that school food stinks. Maybe there needs to be a public relations campaign to market all the good work being done. For example, Asheville City Schools sources nearly 20 products, such as sweet potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce, from local farmers in the region. Schools feature attractively presented salad plates and cashiers nudge students to buy a piece of fruit instead of candy. I hear first hand from the Child Nutrition staff that they are doing the best they can with limited resources and I know they deserve our respect. A great start would be for NC residents to send the letter "Healthy Children for the 21st Century" to your local legislator, then pass the word on to a friend. (See my blog entry with the same title for a copy of the letter and link to the NC General Assembly.)
Healthy Children for the 21st Century
Healthy Children for the 21st Century
Whereas the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs provide healthy meals to all North Carolina students enabling them to be ready to learn,
Whereas one in five children ages 5-11 in North Carolina is overweight,
Whereas the prevalence of childhood obesity has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past two decades,
Whereas North Carolina is in the top 10 states in the United States for the incidence of hypertension and diabetes,
Whereas health care costs in North Carolina associated with obesity related medical expenses cost North Carolina taxpayers more than $2.1 billion a year,
Whereas the North Carolina General Assembly has legislated and the State Board of Education has adopted Nutrition Standards for Elementary Schools in North Carolina schools requiring increased fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and foods high in fiber in school meals offered to students,
Now therefore be it resolved that ______________ supports the N.C. State Board of Education's proposed budget to provide $25 per pupil to enable local school districts to implement Nutrition Standards in elementary schools in the state.
And be it further resolved, that the $25 per elementary child be recurring funds.
___________________________________
Signature
Click on the NC General Assembly's "Who Represents Me" link to find out where to send your letter.
Whereas the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs provide healthy meals to all North Carolina students enabling them to be ready to learn,
Whereas one in five children ages 5-11 in North Carolina is overweight,
Whereas the prevalence of childhood obesity has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past two decades,
Whereas North Carolina is in the top 10 states in the United States for the incidence of hypertension and diabetes,
Whereas health care costs in North Carolina associated with obesity related medical expenses cost North Carolina taxpayers more than $2.1 billion a year,
Whereas the North Carolina General Assembly has legislated and the State Board of Education has adopted Nutrition Standards for Elementary Schools in North Carolina schools requiring increased fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and foods high in fiber in school meals offered to students,
Now therefore be it resolved that ______________ supports the N.C. State Board of Education's proposed budget to provide $25 per pupil to enable local school districts to implement Nutrition Standards in elementary schools in the state.
And be it further resolved, that the $25 per elementary child be recurring funds.
___________________________________
Signature
Click on the NC General Assembly's "Who Represents Me" link to find out where to send your letter.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Gentle Leadership
I want to connect several ideas that crossed my path recently. Last week I spoke with a life coach about the concept of gentle leadership and leadership elements I admire such as interaction, communication, genuine interest, and being proactive. Then there were two posts on a social marketing listserv last week: one about Disney branding produce and another about “behavior placement” in Hollywood.
How does gentle leadership apply when it comes to working with children and families about food? I feel that nutrition advocates, local food supporters, and even people encouraging something as simple sounding as “healthy food” can often come across as top down or elitist. Not gentle at all. People get defensive and say, “Who are you to tell me what to eat?” How would a gentle leader persuade people to eat a healthier diet? What does gentle leadership look like when it comes to nutrition? What would the components of gentle leadership be?
Well, Disney’s getting in on the discussion – but I don’t know how gentle it is. They are branding the produce aisle. Disney characters are now tied to everything from fresh peaches and plums to spinach and canned green beans.
Is this good or bad? I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s good if more children are asking for fruit and vegetables. And apparently they are – what kid wouldn’t love a banana with a Curious George sticker on it? It’s also good if parents feel that retailers are “on their side” and helping families fight the obesity epidemic. But what do the big corporations get out of this (and they always get something)? In a CNN.com article, a farmer participating in the Disney program said, “The only way for us to grow our markets is to increase the consumption of fresh fruit among kids.” So is it about growing markets or growing healthy kids?
Again, the question I face daily is how to get children interested in eating healthy food? Another post on the social marketing listserv discussed the concept of getting Hollywood to promote certain behaviors – behavior placement – similar to product placements that already appear on TV and in movies. Pepsi Co. pays big money for the Pepsi can to sit nonchalantly on the kitchen table of a sitcom set.
Is behavior placement a good strategy to encourage healthy eating? It seems to have happened with smoking – few TV shows feature characters that smoke anymore. It’s still on the big screen, but it appears to have decreased. So can social marketers encourage writers to bring in more healthy eating habits to their scripts? Would it still be funny if families ate well balanced meals with fresh produce on primetime? I think mom’s burned meatloaf gets more laughs than salad. But I have to believe that it couldn’t hurt to have TV provide a little gentle leadership in this area.
If you’re interested in social marketing, you can join the discussion on a listserve. It’s an e-mail list for social marketers to share information, ask questions and offer comments. It’s run by Dr. Alan Andreasen at Georgetown University. To be placed on the list, send an email message to: listproc@listproc.georgetown.edu with the following in the body of the message: subscribe soc-mktg yourname. Type your actual name in place of "yourname."
How does gentle leadership apply when it comes to working with children and families about food? I feel that nutrition advocates, local food supporters, and even people encouraging something as simple sounding as “healthy food” can often come across as top down or elitist. Not gentle at all. People get defensive and say, “Who are you to tell me what to eat?” How would a gentle leader persuade people to eat a healthier diet? What does gentle leadership look like when it comes to nutrition? What would the components of gentle leadership be?
Well, Disney’s getting in on the discussion – but I don’t know how gentle it is. They are branding the produce aisle. Disney characters are now tied to everything from fresh peaches and plums to spinach and canned green beans.
Is this good or bad? I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s good if more children are asking for fruit and vegetables. And apparently they are – what kid wouldn’t love a banana with a Curious George sticker on it? It’s also good if parents feel that retailers are “on their side” and helping families fight the obesity epidemic. But what do the big corporations get out of this (and they always get something)? In a CNN.com article, a farmer participating in the Disney program said, “The only way for us to grow our markets is to increase the consumption of fresh fruit among kids.” So is it about growing markets or growing healthy kids?
Again, the question I face daily is how to get children interested in eating healthy food? Another post on the social marketing listserv discussed the concept of getting Hollywood to promote certain behaviors – behavior placement – similar to product placements that already appear on TV and in movies. Pepsi Co. pays big money for the Pepsi can to sit nonchalantly on the kitchen table of a sitcom set.
Is behavior placement a good strategy to encourage healthy eating? It seems to have happened with smoking – few TV shows feature characters that smoke anymore. It’s still on the big screen, but it appears to have decreased. So can social marketers encourage writers to bring in more healthy eating habits to their scripts? Would it still be funny if families ate well balanced meals with fresh produce on primetime? I think mom’s burned meatloaf gets more laughs than salad. But I have to believe that it couldn’t hurt to have TV provide a little gentle leadership in this area.
If you’re interested in social marketing, you can join the discussion on a listserve. It’s an e-mail list for social marketers to share information, ask questions and offer comments. It’s run by Dr. Alan Andreasen at Georgetown University. To be placed on the list, send an email message to: listproc@listproc.georgetown.edu with the following in the body of the message: subscribe soc-mktg yourname. Type your actual name in place of "yourname."
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