Parents, did you know you have the most influence on your kids? It may not feel like it at times, but you actually do. And this includes your influence on your kids' relationships with food. If you are trying to make change in your family (especially in your kids' lives related to food), as many of you are, focus on the behaviors you are modeling. Exhibiting the behaviors you want to see is going to have the greatest impact on your child's ability and willingness to change.
These aren't easy changes to make. If you are working with us in order to see change in your kids, you are a critical piece of this process. This is why we devote many sessions to you parents. Just as it is important for us to be working with your kids it is also important for us to spend time on you: helping you achieve your goals, and helping you to be the change you want to see in your kids. The following are some ways to assess where you are at. As you work on changing your behaviors, talk with your dietitian anytime for extra help.
Top Ten Ways Parents Can Model a Balanced, Healthy Relationship with Food
1. Set daily meal and snack times for yourself, not just your family
2. Eat with your kid, do not just feed them
3. Acknowledge your own food preferences and attitudes and how that influences your family’s meals
4. Stop talking about how much was or was not eaten at meals-including your own
5. Do not comment about weight (yours, theirs, or anyone else, even if joking or you think your kids aren’t listening)
6. Reward yourself with NON-FOOD rewards like “you time” or a spa treatment instead of food
7. Share what passions you have about cooking and healthy eating with your family
8. When no longer hungry, stop eating. (This is a shift in focus. We are used to asking ourselves if we are full versus asking ourselves if we are no longer hungry. This will lead to a big difference in calorie intake at the end of the day.)
9. Set boundaries at the table: what you prepared is the meal, do not make special food or become a short order cook when food is refused.
10. Forgive yourself for not being perfect and be okay with trying again and again. Practice makes perfect!
Weekly Challenge: Choose one item on this list to work on in the following week. Have fun!
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