Let's just be honest... yes, everything they are using to scare you into buying their water is true. Childhood obesity is way alarming. I think a little fresh air and exercise would help that more than a bottle of water, personally, and a better diet... Yes, you should not be giving kids sugary sodas or stuff like that. (Somehow, back in the day, we found good old Kool-Aid to be just fine, and we did not have a problem with obesity.) I understand wanting kids to drink healthier, and I applaud any effort to get off the soda etc. But I simply do not get this whole "kids don't like water" thing. The "We have to make it appealing" thing. The "They'll scream if they don't get to drink what they want" thing. The "Let them go to the fridge and make their own choice" thing. NO. Kids don't know. YOU have to teach them. I drink coffee. I drink a lot of coffee. I love coffee. I grew up with happy memories that wrapped around the smell of coffee and the sound of a metal spoon stirring in a ceramic mug and the clink of that spoon on the counter. Guess what? Kids absorb what they see. So if you are constantly drinking from a throw-away bottle (I'm seriously going to stop glorifying them with the "recyclable" label), they will want to do it too. If you give them this over-priced whatever water when they are little, they will carry that habit into adulthood. STOP falling for this crap of catering to kids. This product isn't aimed at kids, it's aimed at their parents. Let's call a spade a spade. It's aimed at parents who are, quite frankly, failing as parents.
I have this vision. I see children of today growing up (hopefully, it's a little doubtful some times) and hitting their late teens and early twenties and looking around. I see them looking around at the planet, then looking at their parents and saying to them, "But you knew. You knew. All the knowledge was there, you were told over and over how bad this stuff was, and you still kept using it. You knowingly trashed MY future. Why would you do that?" What answer is there to that? Do YOU want to your child to ask you that question? Or would you rather they knew you did everything you could?
Meh. I could be wrong. Evidence to the contrary hits me in the face every damn day. But I'll keep trying. I promise. At least I'LL be able to look the kids in the eye.
I'm a mom and I actually think it's a great idea to at least get kids to grab a water instead of a soda. I am green and all for tap water at home, but sometimes we need healthy drinks on the go. I am all for WAT-AAH... don't hate on it!
ReplyDeleteJust please think about the future and the oil consumption. It's their FUTURE we are concerned about here. Isn't it worth a reusable bottle, to ensure a healthy planet for them to enjoy?
ReplyDeleteFelix... I also wish to add, a bit more gently since I've had enough coffee and good exercise this morning (!) that I concede there are situations. I simply ask to cut those situations down to a few as possible. Plus, if you look at the ads and promos, these companies want you to fill your fridge and pantry with these bottles. I mantain that is not necessary, and like you say, water at home from a filtered tap is perfectly fine!
ReplyDeletemy sister has three kids and they love water if she offers them soda or water they take the water...they love it so much cuz when they were babys she would give thenm bottles of water insted of milk
ReplyDeleteI read you're blog because Im a Dad with a child that drinks WAT-AAH! all the time. I also make sure to re-use the bottles we buy whenever we can - and of course, we also recycle them.
ReplyDeleteIm as environmentally conscious as the next guy but I gotta say, reading this blog, Im betting you dont have kids. Nieces and nephews maybe, but not your own. I dont say that as a dig, but when you're running around town and your kids really thirsty and he or she can pick from one of the 400 bottles (plastic bottles) of sugary syrup or this water brand, I'm more than happy to throw down to encourage that decision.
All that coffee you drink? It's shipped here using oil. It's made into beans using oil. Its brought to the U.S. in huge plastic bags and containers that are not recyclable and manufactured in such a way so that they actually don't break down over time.
Caffeine sounds like a necessary evil for you - and that's cool.
Water's just necessary.
-Jake
Jake, thanks for visiting. I made the coffee comment for two reasons: 1) I know I am far from perfectly green, I'm just trying like everyone else. 2) I drink what reminds me of happiness from childhood, and being aware of that causes me to think we have to watch what we drink around kids.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comments, and no I do not have kids. But as a good friend of mine with very young children said, prepare BEFORE you are out. Are you going to be running around? Then plan accordingly. You know the children will get thirsty, so make it so that you are only buying anything in a throw-away bottle as an absolute last resort. Reusing the bottle when you do have them is great. Recycling is not a valid think quite yet... but I discuss that in my other entries.
Thank you very much for stopping by... you are obviously on the responsible side of this! Again, I say the bad thing is having these bottles at home in bulk when that is not really needed....