2012-06-04 - iTriage Health
For the health and happiness of your child you want to find a way to instill positive discipline in them. It is important that you teach them how to make good decisions so that they can make good food and lifestyle choices on their own and not be saddled with being overweight for the rest of their lives. There are positive steps you can take to help your child make good decisions each day and take steps towards becoming a healthier child and eventually a healthy and fit adult.
Discipline Yourself
The first step you can take is to lead by example. If you are filling your plate with vegetables and fruits at every meal then your children will be doing the same thing. You should eat healthy meals and snacks and your children will do what they see you doing. Keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with healthy snacks. Your children cannot eat junk food if it isn't in the house. When your children see you snacking on carrot sticks and nuts, then they will copy that behavior.
Find another Way
Junk food tastes good and can be fun. Children do not eat foods that are unhealthy because they hate them. Unfortunately if you are too strict and never let your children have any treats, they will probably rebel and just sneak it behind your back. They key is moderation and finding healthier ways to include their favorite foods. Most foods have healthier alternatives that can easily be fit into a healthy lifestyle. Burgers and fries are a prime example. You can have this meal in a healthy way if you make it yourself and avoid the drive through.
A burger and fries can be an enjoyable meal that is healthy too. Make your family burger patties made of either lean ground beef or ground turkey. Put those burgers on a high fiber bun and use lower calorie condiments such as mustard, ketchup or even bbq sauce. If you want cheese use a light sprinkling of shredded cheese so you can get the flavor with fewer calories. You can skin and slice potatoes, toss them in olive oil and kosher salt and then bake for a healthy alternative to French fries. The best way to get kids eating healthy foods is to have them help you prepare them. They will feel more involved and will be more likely to eat them.
Get Out and Get Moving
Your children should see you exercising on a regular basis, but it should not stop there. You need to find ways to get them up and moving every day. One way to do this is to limit how much time they can spend watching television or using the computer for non school activities. This will encourage your children to spend their time in physical play instead of sitting in front of a screen. Buy your children a bicycle, scooter or sports equipment instead of video games. Allow your children to choose only their favorite television shows and limit their television viewing to only those shows.
The next step is to get them moving. One of the best ways to do this is to play with them. When you can you should get out with your kids and play tag or go for a bike ride. You can try different activities as a family until you find something that your child really enjoys. You may also want to get your children involved in sports or other physical activities. If being on a baseball team does not thrill your child, you can always try gymnastics, swimming or martial arts.
Finding an activity that your child really loves will go a long way in helping them stick to exercising. Forcing them into activities they do not enjoy will probably not lead to lifelong healthy habits because they will quit as soon as they can. But, if you find some they are excited about doing, they will be excited to exercise. Children who love exercise are more likely to turn into adults who love to exercise.
In the end the most important thing is to be positive. Reward and praise your children when they practice healthy habits. Practice healthy habits yourself and your children will naturally make healthy choices. Never shame or berate your children for making choices that you view as unhealthy. Instead, celebrate their victories and they will continue to work towards more victories every day.
Janet Lynch is a blogger and writer for various food and health websites. She is also an expert on diet food delivery and other easy solutions to weight loss.
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