One Out of Four Children...
That is one out of four of MY children + a Paid Subscriber BOOK GIVEAWAY!
Remember those ads that claim something along the lines of “9 out of 10 dentists recommend this toothpaste”? The numbers are there to give us confidence in a product, because most dentists seem to like this toothpaste. And also to make you wonder what was up with that 10th dentist. I realize that I have some confidence-building statistics as well. I am 99% confident that I have four very different children. All are unique in their ways despite living in the same house with the same parents. And even though these are my children, these statistics might tell you something about your parenthood, too.
1. One out of four children has food allergies
My oldest was diagnosed with food allergies as a baby. With bated breath, each child was initiated into solid foods, and we waited, assuming that another child would be allergic to something. But for now, no other kids have been identified as having food allergies. And even with relief of not having to navigate food allergies with more than our oldest, there are still complicated issues with family members being able to eat different foods.
2. One out of four children eats “broadly-ish”
One child will look at your plate and ask to try what you are eating. She may not like it, but she is willing to taste it. You can order many dishes at a restaurant that she will eat. And this is not true with the others (of course, somewhat more complicated with a kid who has food allergies). I bring this up because feeding kids is a very stressful aspect of parenting, with many opinions about what is the “right” way. These kids came from the same parents, same house, and are all wildly different eaters.
3. Three out of four children can play together
Not a specific set of my children, no. We have determined that the ratio of children playing cannot exceed three children at a time (two really is best). We were not aware of this magic number until we had four, of course. There is something about four kids playing that is very likely to go bad real fast.
To read more parenthood stats and enter this month’s book giveaway (includes 3 books that all have an element of treacherous travel, perfect for summer), please consider becoming a paid subscriber.