Registered dietician Mary Henson of SUNY Upstate Medical University has joined the “9 Kids Challenge,” to help our team of children change their eating habits and learn more about healthy lifestyles. Her first lesson is that the kids can’t do it on their own… they need total buy-in from their families. Here’s the note she sent our team parents.
Rules for Parents and Families As part of the 9 Kids Challenge, your child also needs his or her family to become
fully involved in the quest for a healthy lifestyle. As parents, you are the first step in making sure that your child has all of the right foods available to him/her. You also need to make sure that there are no unhealthy or foods in the house that your child may be tempted to eat-even if there are others in the house who eat these foods. ALL family members must eat right and set a good example in order for this to work!
Here are the Golden Rules for your child’s success with the 9 Kids Challenge:
- Set a good Example (aka “Monkey See, Monkey Do”): Children eat the way they see their parents eat. For example, if you want your child to slow down, take smaller bites, and eat their vegetables, you must do the same.
- Attend all nutrition lessons taught at TCI.
- Listen to your child without interrupting, and help him/her solve problems as they occur.
- If you feel judgmental toward your child, say nothing negative. Keep your thoughts to yourself and do your best to be supportive.
- Focus on what your child does right and give positive responses when he shows his commitment to the program.
- Help your child to find opportunities to exercise. If you can’t find any opportunities, create some (Dancing, raking, vacuuming, riding bikes, etc)!
- Remove unhealthy foods from your home. If you cannot throw them away, donate them to a food bank.
- Make a shopping list and stick to it. Include all of the healthy foods you will need to prepare and cook recipes for the week, and for healthy snacks as well.
- Rearrange the kitchen so that healthy foods are within reach, and unhealthy foods are out of sight.
- Make a commitment to cook healthy, low-fat/low-calorie foods. Eat together whenever possible, setting a good example, as in Rule 1.
- Track your child’s progress by asking how the program is going, and asking what he learned in nutrition/exercise (if unable to attend).
- Praise healthy food choices, and encourage your child to “keep on trying” when unhealthy choices are made.
Adapted from Trim Kids™ 12-week weight loss program. By Melinda Sothern Ph.D, T. Kristian von Almen Ph.D, and Heidi Schumacher, RD.
