Love Little Children - Parenting Tips

It is very important to talk with your children. Talk about the importance of healthy eating. Cook with them and prepare healthy meals and snacks. Make some time for “family time”. Instead of watching TV, make family time more meaningful by preparing, cooking, eating and enjoying healthy foods together. You are your child’s example. If you are not going to eat the healthy foods that you suggest they eat, they will not eat them either. Enjoy eating healthy meals together.

Exercising does not necessarily mean going to the gym. Take a walk through your neighborhood park or a walk around the block with your family. Take time to talk to each other.

Raising health-conscious kids seems harder than ever. Many years ago, children ate whatever was fresh and seasonal. Now we have more choices. However, readily available processed foods provide little nutrition and our children miss out on eating nutritionally rich foods. Nutritionally speaking, progress is taking us backward.

Ultimately, your choices will determine if your children will grow up to be healthy and health-conscious. If your snack drawer and refrigerator are always stocked with junk food, that’s what will be normal for your kids. In addition to weight problems, there’s a good chance that children with frequent access to these foods will experience low energy, learning difficulties, and dental problems sooner and later.

Make it a point to control what your kids eat - at least what they eat at home. Once they are in school, you’ll find that you have little or no control over what they eat in class parties, school cafeteria, friends’ homes, or after-school programs. Your refrigerator should include healthy choices, like whole-grain breads instead of white, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Encourage drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. Resist the urge to bring candy into the house. Save it for special times only.

Have pretzels, popcorn and rice cakes rather than potato and corn chips in the pantry. Buy cereals containing less than 10 grams of sugar rather than sugar-packed cereals. Set a healthy example for your children. You can be sure that they will thank you for it when they’ll get older!