The article written for Fair Parenting Project
Unfortunately, healthy eating is not a reality for most Canadian children. Fruits and vegetables are a rarity, while cookies, desserts, chips and other unhealthy snacks are not! We need to balance out their meals with lean proteins, vegetables and carbohydrates to ensure a healthy lifestyle which will carry them through their adult years. Children live what they learn and “constants” will begin to form proper eating habits.
We are all human and require consistency in our daily lives. As adults, if one of our consistencies changes it actually changes our day. For example, if our train/bus is late, it makes us late. We learn how to adjust our days when a situation happens, this has become learned behavior. For children, learning consistency is much more important, but, as many parents know, being consistent is the hardest thing of all. When either time or tiredness comes into play, things are allowed to be ‘let go.’
Children are constantly learning, whether its math, geography, learning a new sport, or…about proper nutritional habits! The way they learn is through a process, known as repetition and rehearsal. If they learn that if they eat carrots, which will make their eyesight better and they will get vitamins and minerals also, soon they will be requesting them because they know they will be helping their bodies. They will then begin to ask about other foods and relate each to having a healthy life. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, means to a child that, maybe I won’t catch the flu or a cold, and will be able to play with my friends! They soon build on that knowledge.
Inconsistency produces anxiety, which in turn can cause aggression and hostility. As parents, its easy to get off track. Some of these parents don’t really understand how important consistency is. Once given the tools, they can teach their children how to internalize the values, knowledge and experiences that will shape proper nutritional habits.
As soon as parents learn that they are not helping their children and actually hurting them with poor nutritional habits, they instantly do their best to change.
Parents need to lead by example and be the change! Children of separated/divorced parents need this consistency to program these nutritional habits early on. It must be an agreed upon, mutual effort, for the sake of the children and also, a healthy lifestyle for them. Approach change with baby steps, and make one change at a time. Increasing the number of vegetables and fruits is a great place to start.
Change, embrace it don’t fear it!
Article written by Traci Moor (info@suddenimpactnutrition.com), Sudden Impact Nutrition
Copyright 2013, Sudden Impact Nutrition.