Monsoons are now about happiness & hugs…not flu and stomach bugs!

Once you become a parent, your definition of seasons and the things you relate to the advent of each one of them change. While cold winter months are accompanied by sniffles, monsoons herald the onset of flu, viral fever or upset stomachs. Someone it is only for the first changes of seasons, some say it is the initial 5 years of life….you see no end to it.

Like a good mother, I keep all the necessary medicines stocked in a separate bag that contains all the pediatric syrups. A couple of weeks ago, I had a friend and her family over at my place. Late in the evening, her child of 4 years started complaining of stomach ache. She expressed her regret at not carrying medicines and I jumped in to help- I had them all. When I got the syrup she asked for, I checked for the expiry date out of habit. The syrup had expired! It is unlike me to not replace medicines and I was quite shocked. That is when I realised that I hadn’t needed to open the bag since some time. A positive sign that I had not noticed!

What had changed? It reminded me of the journey I had started hesitantly a few months back and promised to chronicle 90 days of it but after 30 had forgotten completely about it. I had introduced my daughter to Pediasure back then. I cannot say how much credit goes to the supplement but the change is obvious. After a lot f thought, I could rationalise as following:

Health drinks supplement diet

If your child is a fussy eater and getting her to devour anything substantial is a battle you fight every day, you can be sure that she is not going to get the required nutrition through diet alone. Although there is no substitute for a balanced diet, making sure that your child does not lag in growth due to her fussy eating habits is equally important. Pediasure definitely helped.

A well-nourished child is less fussy

If the child does not get proper nutrition, it makes her underfed and cranky, resulting in fussy eating habits. It is, therefore, a vicious circle. The introduction of a supplement helps to keep the child well-nourished and calm, resulting in better acceptance of healthy food stuff. Although I cannot claim that we have achieved the goal, I can gladly say that we are half way there. The resistance to greens and dals is now definitely less than it was earlier.

Reinforcement of the fact that tasty doesn’t have to be insipid

Might not sound like a big deal to you but I think it is of paramount importance that children do not associate healthy food with bland taste. This usual belief makes them detest green vegetables and get tempted towards junk food. A health supplement that helps in completing the balanced diet of your child and tastes yummy too is a win-win for all. When I tell her that the chocolate shake she loves is healthy too, she is just as glad as me!

Who doesn’t love shrinking clothes?

Punjabis keep food at the very centre of their lives and it is no wonder that the health of a child is like a report card of the mother. A skinny child invites comments and advises that easily put the mother to shame…trust me, I have been there. Well, jokes apart, it is heartening to see your child gain weight and reach the appropriate weight for age. Instead of buying new clothes as the older ones are shorter, we are now buying them as the older ones do not fit. A happy change! No supplement does magic but Pediasure has definitely helped in ensuring that fussy eating habits do not get in the way of balanced nutrition.

Although I had planned to chronicle #MyPediaSureJourney and failed to do so due to an infinite number of excuses, I still wanted to share the experience with all of you as it is undoubtedly worth a share!