This is an archived blog from when I ran Conscious Public Relations Inc. from 2008-2018. Excuse the potential outdated-ness!
Chocolate prices rise, kids go to therapy
Maclean’s Magazine sent me a free copy to my old address, so I had a look see at the headlines that caught my eye.
1. “Chocolate prices are rising as a result of a shortage of cocoa. At close to US$2,800 per tonne, cocoa prices are at their highest level in two years. Nothing sweet about that.”
I’m going to take some valuable time to explain where this cocoa should go. Do not buy popular branded candy bars or even boxes of chocolates from big factories; most of these “chocolates” are not real chocolate but instead are more than half filled with sugar and soy lethicin. Real chocolate – which growers in the hotter countries slave away to make for our tastebuds – IS more on the expensive side, but the quality is worth it.
My picks include Xoxolat (the retailer, which sells high quality chocolate from around the world), Zimt Raw Chocolate, and gluten-free Giddy Yo Yo. Hodie at Xoxolat is where I learned the above stats from that changed my perspective on chocolate for good!
2. “Tell me about your bestie: Kids as young as seven are turning to therapy in growing numbers to talk about ‘peer issues'”
To me this screams parental ignorance. If you can afford it, and you do not have the time to listen to your child, it might seem easy and a plausible solution to send your child to therapy. I do not agree with this.
There is no real guidebook to parenting (even though lots are put out each year) but I think it starts with values and how your actions are driven by those values. If you value your child’s future and helping them deal with difficult situations to become better human beings, you will work through those with them. Therapy is nice to have someone else listen to you, but it does not make your problems go away or make you a better person unless you are changing something about your behaviour, thought patterns, or feelings.
