If your child has extra body weight, you may feel conflicted about how to approach it. We want to help our kids be their healthiest, but we also don\u2019t want to hurt their self-esteem. It\u2019s important that they feel good about themselves and have a healthy body image. So how does a parent help a child make changes\u00a0 without causing harm?<\/p>\n
Grade school and preteen children are intellectual sponges, eager to learn about their bodies and health. Instead of talking to your children about weight and appearance, focus on how to be healthy. Emphasize healthy eating and exercise. Weight loss should not be the end goal.<\/p>\n
Also, be sure to talk about food in a positive manner, rather than labeling some foods \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad.\u201d For example, instead of saying that a certain food has too many calories and shouldn\u2019t be eaten, try introducing the concept of \u201csometimes foods\u201d and \u201call-the-time foods.\u201d Lots of foods are so good for our body that we can eat them every day and in larger quantities. Other foods should be eaten less frequently or in small portions.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard for a child to make changes in the way they eat or exercise if their family doesn\u2019t also change. For example, if will help your child to avoid drinking juice, you might stop buying it for the family. If your child likes to be competitive, you could create some type of family health challenge. Just be sure to praise effort over outcome.<\/p>\n
Try to eat meals together as a family and focus on these as times to talk and connect. Eating meals with your family<\/a> is good for kids\u2019 health because:<\/p>\n It\u2019s also helpful to include your kids in grocery shopping<\/a> and cooking meals when possible. Doing so can be a fun way to talk about healthy eating.<\/p>\n We know that active kids are healthier and feel better about their bodies \u2013 no matter what their weight is. So it\u2019s helpful to encourage your child to exercise more<\/a>. The best way to do that is to be active with them! Have fun with more trips to the park, basketball games, after-dinner walks as a family whenever possible.<\/p>\n Kids this age still very much look up to their parents and view them as role models. Even if they\u2019ve started acting a little too cool for school around home, they\u2019re still carefully watching what you do and listening to what you say. So, be sure to take care of yourself as well as you would like your kids to take care of themselves.<\/p>\n It’s important for you as a parent to avoid negative statements about your own weight and body. Instead of talking about restricting calories or how much you weigh, you might try talking about how good it feels to exercise and how delicious your healthy meal was. Consider not having a scale in your house.<\/p>\n Our society, and particularly the media, can have a negative effect on kids\u2019 body image and overall health. On one hand there are constant images of high-calorie, low-nutrition foods; on the other there are unrealistic images of too-thin women and over-buff men. Not to mention, most of the images of people kids see are altered with photo editing software. These unattainable \u201cideals\u201d can be very damaging to our children\u2019s understanding of what it means to be healthy and strong. Take the time to talk about this with your kids. Actively limit and monitor their access to social media. If they are allowed media time<\/a>, talk about what they see online and how it affects them.<\/p>\n\n
Be an Active Family<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Model Positive Behaviors and Attitude<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Talk About How Media Influences Your Kids<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Supporting Your Child Emotionally<\/strong><\/h3>\n