In Defense of The Brown Cow

After reading an article this morning about certain schools are putting a ban on the brown cow or chocolate milk as some like to call it.  They say that they are banning it due to the added sugar in  chocolate milk saying that too much sugar in a child's diet can lead to obesity.  

I don't see the big deal; I doubt that chocolate milk is the cause of childhood obesity, I think that the cause of childhood obesity is fear. My husband and I took our children on a walk yesterday and we didn't see not one child outside playing, no kids passed us on their bicycles, no girls were outside playing jump rope and no little boys were throwing a football to one another.  Where were all of the kids? Inside sipping chocolate milk? I think that Americans live in a state of fear and that fear keeps us from living our lives to the fullest.  When I was growing up we played outside, we ran, we jumped, biked, we climbed, we fell, we got back up and did it all again and guess what we drank also chocolate milk! Fear is making parents keep their children in the house because they are afraid that they will fall and hurt themselves and instead of teaching them to get back up and try again they prevent them from trying at all.  Fear is making parents plan play dates instead of teaching these kids the fine art of introducing themselves to one another and playing because it is fun instead of because it was planned.  Fear is what is making parents take their children to the play ground and follow them around instead of putting him down and allowing him to play and interact on their own.  And fear is what is keeping parents from allowing their child to drink a little bit of chocolate milk with their "healthy" lunch instead of getting their kids off of the couch, laptop, PS3 or cellphone and allowing them to be actively fit and healthy.

Chocolate milk isn't what is making kids fat, laziness and fear that are making the kids fat!  I drank tons of chocolate milk as a kid and even after six kids I am  not fat!  My kids drink and enjoy chocolate milk and since we don't live in fear they get to go outside, play and explore instead of sitting around the house doing nothing.   Listen people the only thing to fear is fear; stop putting fear into these kids and start teaching them right from wrong and about making good choices.  One way to make a good choice when it comes to chocolate milk that it is good in moderation so you get your cup of that sweet molasses for the day and that is it.  I will still go to the grocery store and buy Nesquik because I'm not afraid to allow my children to go outside, play and live their lives without fear.  

Instead of banning the brown cow how about putting more money into the P.E. programs and bringing back recess or are we afraid that little Timmy will bruise his precious knee?