Don’t make them finish their plate
Where possible allow your children to serve themselves and encourage them to try a small amount of everything on offer. If they don’t like something, try your best to remain calm and offer it again another day. Encourage your children to tune into their own intuition and eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full.
Let go of using food as reward or punishment
When we put certain foods on a pedestal such as dessert or fast food, we are teaching children that this item is something to be sought after. Try to reward with items other than food such as an experience like going to the park or picking out a new story book.
Encourage your children to tune into their own intuition and eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full.
Choose your words wisely
Refrain from talking about your body, their body or anyone else’s body in a negative manner in front of your children. If we are calling ourselves fat or telling someone else that they need to lose weight, it can give our children the impression that their self worth is tied to their weight.
Be patient with yourself and don’t strive for perfection
It’s not realistic to think that we’ll get it right all the time. So try your best to not let your mum (or dad) guilt get you down, as we are our own worst critics. A huge part of living a healthy life is maintaining meaningful social connections and this means celebrating birthdays with cake, going out for pizza or whatever it is that you and your circle love and enjoy. Laying the foundations for developing a healthy relationship with food means striving for balance and not perfection.
Originally published here.
Angelica-Hazel is an Endeavour College Alumni and degree qualified nutritionist at Natural Health by Angelica-Hazel. She is also the owner of an organic tea brand called Saha Botanica and a mama of two.
Having completed post graduate training in Natural Fertility Education as well as becoming a MINDD practitioner, she has a special interest in all aspects of women’s health and paediatric nutrition.
Alongside working in clinical practice, Angelica-Hazel runs workshops, hosts health retreats and writes feature articles on wellbeing and sustainability for a range of online publications and businesses. She hopes to one day complete a Masters in Reproductive Medicine and Women’s health.
