One of the most common responses I get when talking about shifting a child’s eating habits is:
“But they won’t like it!”
Or….
“Not my child, they are VEEEERRRYY picky.”
I’m not saying that it’s easy, or that your child will immediately run over hugging and kissing you for making the changes to their food.
But it’s our job as parents to demonstrate healthy decision making, so that we don’t have to be the food police for our children.
Here are some ideas to help with that mission…..
Whenever I can, I talk to my daughter about how strong she is, and how she’s able to do so many fun things because she’s strong. I do that in the middle of the activity, for example, when she’s swimming and jumping in the pool. I say to her, “Isn’t this fun to be swimming and jumping like this?”
And she enthusiastically agrees.
I then say, “The reason you can do this is because you ate your ABC at lunch today – that food makes you strong so that you can do these things!”
Conversely, if she’s gotten a hold of lots of sugar, or processed foods, either at school or at her dad’s house, she ultimately complains of being tired. I usually will say something like “Yes, I get tired, too, whenever I eat ABC junk food. I don’t like feeling tired to I try not to eat that stuff.”
I make it about me, and how I choose not to eat that way because of the consequence.
Are there any tips you have found work in your home? Please comment below.
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