"My kid only eats Chicken Nuggets!

I have to say that my kids are pretty good eaters and we have my cousin Sarah to thank! She gave my wife and I an amazing book before our first child was born called Child of Mine. Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter. It states, "As a parent, it is your job to make the food and it is the child's job to eat it." Think about it. We teach our kids not to touch sharp objects or push other kids. But, when it comes to food, education goes out the window. How can you say that your kids don't like peppers simple because the first time they ate them, they spit it out? They don't know what they like and don't like. They need to get used to different flavors and textures that food has to offer. Plus, sometimes we just don't feel like eating something. Young kids go through what I call culinary mood swings throughout the year. Have you ever said, "My kid wont eat carrots anymore" and then stop feeding them to him or her? 

Don't give up just because you child is giving you a hard time about food. You are the parent, they are the child. Don't be lazy and give up. A 6 year old will not starve himself. If he is hungry, he will eat what is on the plate. Now, don't me get wrong, I am not saying all meals should just be baked chicken with steamed vegetables. If they are having trouble with food, make it fun or add one thing that they like. The point is food is an adventure. Even as an adult it takes time to get use to different cuisines that we are not used to. For a  child, everything is new, so they need a chance to try it. 

Start here: Take a vegetable that your child hates, like carrots. Then, for a month, put 2 baby carrots on their plate during lunch. Most days they may not eat it and maybe some days they will. The one thing that has worked for us is if they ask for chips or more juice, we say "Sure, but after you eat your carrots." No Carrots, No Chips. Its important to note that you are not forcing the carrot on them, but you are giving them a choice. During this process they have no idea that they are slowly getting used to the taste of carrots, possibly even to the point that they will ask for them for as a snack!  

3 Tips to Cook Less Stressed

I love to cook! If I could be alone in a kitchen with some amazing ingredients and good music, I would be set! But, with two kids and a small house that will never happen. As a parent, the kitchen often turns into a burden more then a place of inspiration. We scramble to fix dinner after a long day of work, kids' practices, and appointments. The last thing we want to do is think about cooking or the dishes that follow.

Here are a few tips that have helped me be less overwhelm and have brought back the joy in cooking. 

1) Make one meal. Stop saying to yourself that your kid only eats mac 'n cheese and go out of your way to make a custom meal. It is your job to make the food and it is their job to eat it. A 6 year will not starve himself. If they are hungry, they will eat. 

2) Learn how to time your cooking. How long do it take to boil water? How long does it take to cook Chicken? When should I heat the sauce? Once you start figuring out how long things take to cook, it is really easy to start multi-tasking. You can develop an order to your cooking and when tasks start to overlap, you don't have to waste precious time prepping the meal. 

3) Clean as you go. I am still not great at this, but if you can take care of a few dishes before you eat, that is less energy needed later in the night.

1 Sec Everyday

http://www.1secondeveryday.com/

For the month of January, I decided to try the App: 1SE or 1 Second Everyday. I have to say, it's pretty awesome!  I am definitely not the most consistent person in the world, so it was a bit challenging at first. But, once I got the hang of it, the creative juices started flowing. I know we all don't have time to bust out our phone everyday, but don't worry. You can cheat if you need to and post a video to fill in the days you missed. Check out my video:

Coaching: Have Fun!

One great joy as a dad and a parent is seeing a group of kids having fun. I think too often we forget that when we are playing sports, we are playing a "game." Games are meant to be fun. Whatever happens at the age of 7 is not going to dramatically effect their .000001% chance of become a professional athlete. But, we are humans, we are competitive, and we want things to be fair. We have all had our moments on the sidelines screaming at the referee over something that wasn't right. But, what are we teaching our kids by doing that? Honestly, it's hard, because you want your kid to be competitive but also not out there cussing at the umpire. This is where most people insert the term "sportsmanship." "Good Game! Better Luck Next Time!" I see nothing wrong with teaching this to a young player, but what happens when a kid spits in your face or pushes you when no one sees? Do you still have to say good game?

Let's take a few steps back. I have been an athlete my entire life and have seen it all. I have been called names, thrown at, stepped on, the works. Does it suck? Yes! Does it mess with your head? Yes! Do you say something? Yes! But, do you turn around and charge the pitchers mound with a bat? Probably not the best idea. The one thing that I can say is, "Leave it all out on the field." If you can focus on yourself, go has hard as you can, with a positive attitude. Then, you will be surprised with the results. Nothing stings an opponent more than knowing what he is doing does not work. I just recently watched the show "Undeniable" with Joe Buck where he interviewed Jimmy Johnson, the famous head football coach. During the interview ,Jimmy stated that he would always follow this equation: PA+E=S  (Positive Attitude + Effort = Success). If you give me everything you got, with a positive attitude, the results will come. He doesn't talk about winning. He doesn't talk about sportsmanship. He focuses on individuals and this is the point I want to make. As a coach, I try to teach my players to focus on themselves. Number one rule: have fun (aka: positive attitude)! Rule Two: Focus on yourself, our team! Don't worry about anything else. If you work hard, and leave everything you have on the field, win or lose, you did your best (aka: effort). If the other team cheated, whatever, because that's what they had to do in order to win. They may have won, but they didn't beat you. Once your players can understand that, you will be surprised with the results. They will start to grow and get better because they will focus on improving themselves, be better than yesterday. While having fun, they will push themselves harder, focus on the areas they need help with, and enjoy seeing themselves improve (aka: success)

Again, games are meant to be fun. If you are losing all the time and struggling, your player won't play that sport again. But, if you can encourage them to work hard, praise them every time they improve, and have fun doing it, win or lose, they will come back year after year.