I'm putting myself out there, hoping for some brainstorming here. I thought perhaps a thread dedicated to the subject may be of help to those of us who struggle with overweight/obese children.
There is so much angst surrounding this subject. I definitely feel that no matter what I decide, I'm going to screw up my son in some fashion. There are so many posts wagging the finger at the parents for childhood and adult obesity. Some parents are too limiting, some are too giving, some said too much, some never said a word. What's going to be the best approach for MY child? I have no idea.
I have a little boy who is ten and quite overweight. We did have a handle on it and he was maintaining 114 for almost a year. Then he went on a one week trip with his grandparents and no lie, the child gained 10 pounds and has added two more since. He weighs 126 now.
We HAD been encouraging exercise and he eats what I eat. That was working beautifully. He's a very sensitive little fella and it's a very touchy subject. I try to influence him under the table. There aren't normal snacks in the house, no chips, cookies, or other "snacky" foods. No pop or juice. We have only milk or water to drink. The problem is it doesn't matter what I have in the house, he will eat it and lots of it. He eats SO much fruit it's insane. Five apples in a day is not unusual. If I have flatbread, he smother it in peanut butter. He'll concoct things.
There are no activities he enjoys. None. It is such a struggle to get this chid active. He's very uncoordinated and has low muscle tone, so team sports are out. It's socially unfair to do to him. I did just find out about a church sponsored athletic organization that is non competitive. We're looking into that. I have him playing dodgeball after school, and though he loves it, he is always picked last. Socially it is just not good.
I'm asking for ideas right now because this weekend he complained of back pain and leg pain non stop and I can't help but think it's because of his weight. The last I checked his waist was 34. He's wearing size 18H now which are way too long for him.
I have to do something.
I think today I am going to go get two tennis rackets so he and I can bat a ball around outside. I'd like to think of several fun activities he and I can do together. It's going to be hard and I'm going to have to think outside the box because if it feels like exercise he is going to be angry, sad and hard on himself. It can't be running, walking or even bike riding. I'm thinking tennis, four square, jump roping (with me), a game of tag...
Any ideas? Any at all food and activity related? I need ideas for how much, how to keep it routine, how to talk to him about it, how to keep him from food, etc. Is it right to lock my fridge and pantry and have complete control? Or will that damage him for life?
Please be sensitive. My head knows this is not my fault, but my heart feels like it is. I know many people will blame me because if a child is overweight it is the parent's fault. Sometimes...but I have tried everything I know.