[Step]

Hi all,

I'm new here and am not sure this is the right place to post this ... I hope if it's not, somebody will be kind enough to point me to the right forum.

What do you tell your kids about your eating plan? How do you instill healthy eating habits in them without making them "afraid of food" or obsessed with it at an early age?

I have two children, ages 3 ½ and 6. They are both normal weight … have always been right about the 50th percentile for both height and weight … (actually my 6yo son looks 'healthy' to me, but he needs a size 6 SLIM pants). Generally speaking they are both good eaters. My son eats a wider range of fruits and veggies than my 3.5 yo daughter, but she does excellent compared to many 3yo I know.

The six year old especially is into 'exercise' and 'nutrition'. This is triggered by lessons in school, as I never went overboard about talking about it other than to say "no you can't have more candy, you've had enough sweets today, how about an apple?" He'll often ask if a certain food is 'good for you' and basically if it's not junk I tell him "yes it is, as long as you also eat other healthy foods" (Otherwise we'd end up having discussions as to why he can't have FOUR tangerines for dessert.)

Personally, I have a lot of weight to lose and I'm trying to limit carbs, not all carbs, but starch. (Even the good high fiber kind is a problem for me … once I start, I don't stop until I've eaten so much I'm uncomfortable). So when I cook dinner, I sometimes cook starch (like rice) for them but I don't eat it. I always cook extra veggies. They asked why I wasn't having rice. I explained that I need lose weight to be more healthy and that I always eat too much rice, so for now, it's best that I don't have any. Well, last night, Mr. 6-slim announced he wasn't having dessert cuz he was trying to cut fat. (And that's not a term I use so I don't know where he got it - but he's master of the TV remote, very bright and I've "caught" him watching the news, Discovery Health, etc) I stressed that he was very healthy and didn't need to lose weight and that he should have dessert. (Dessert for my kids is usually fruit or yogurt, so I don't want them cutting that …). He decided on fruit.

I don't want to make my kids paranoid about food, I want to instill good habits and I'm trying to model good habits, but the point is, as an overweight adult, I can't eat everything a 6-year-old does --- lol and they are asking questions.

Do you have any suggestions? What's worked for you?

[asta]

Why don't you just tell them that children's food needs are sometimes a little different from adult's needs, because they are smaller and still growing taller.

[AtHomeGoddess]

Good advise Asta! Be sure and tell the kids that they are growing and need a little extra calories, minerals and protein to build strong muscles and to burn on the playground!

With my daughter (age 8) I told her that I need to get healthier and pass up certain foods for a little while (or only eat occasionally) because I enjoy them too much. I gave her the example of candy. If I let her eat all the candy she wanted all the time, not only would she get a tummy ache, but her teeth would have cavities and she wouldn't be strong and healthy, and she'd put on weight from the fat and sugar. Then I told her potatoes, rice and bread are my "candies". I really love them, but too many of them have made me unhealthy and I'm cutting back. And on special occasions (just like her and candy) I can enjoy them and not worry!

As long as you don't sweat every calorie and show them that you're eating balanced meals, I think your kids will understand your eating habit changes. Good luck!

JohnnieAnn

[Step]

Thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it. Now that we are all "getting into the routine" so to speak, the questions have fallen off a bit.

[jenyne]

Step,
my kids are 12, 10 and 7 and they have seen me watching my diets and not over the years. When my daughter was in the 4th grade she asked if she should diet (not my word, but alot of the 4th graders were speaking of it). All of my children are in great proportion and do not have any problems with weight gain. It was about this time I decided I needed to tell them about what mom was doing. I don't want my kids to become obssessed with a person's looks so I explained that it is normal for kids to grow bigger and taller and need new clothes, but when a grown-ups clothes become tight, they need to lose weight for their health.

[ECmom]

Another good idea to instill is that it is all about portion control.
You can eat almost anything...........but within reason. Even a cookie is ok, or ice cream or whatever......as long as there is some balance.