So, you are ready to make some changes in your family's diet. You've heard and
read enough to know that eating Real Food is important to your family's health
and happiness. You know what your kids eat when they are young not only affects
their health now, but also in the future. You are feeling good about your
decision. Your intuition is supporting you. The science is behind you.
Unfortunately, your kids are not on the same page.
They are complaining about the fresh fruit. They practically 'throw-up' seeing
anything green on their plates, and they're secretly calling Grandma to tell her
about this unfair abuse. Don't despair. It's temporary. It might be intense, but
it's almost always temporary. Stick to your goal of creating a healthier and
happier family, and stay connected with other moms who are doing the same thing.
The following ideas help hundreds of moms get through the bumps of changing
their children's diets. The more you do to educate and involve them, no matter
what their ages, the greater the chances your journey will be a little smoother.
Educate your children, without making a really big deal about the changes. Talk
about how, just like a car needing good gas, our bodies run the best when they
have the nutrients they need. A car would break down if you put something
besides fuel in the tank. The same with our bodies when we put too many
anti-nutrients in.
Borrow some books from the library that have great charts, illustrations and
pictures about the body's amazing parts. Talk with your children about how they
can keep their body working the way it is supposed to if they give it the right
fuel.
Have them help pack lunches and snacks, and help cook. It takes longer, but if
you have the time, it's really worth it. Talk about the colors and textures of
the food. The phytonutrients, found in those deep bright colors, are nutrients
that will help strengthen your child's immune system. You can download our free
color chart to help you with this.
Consider setting up a two-bite rule and the food has to make it down to the
tummy. Explain that their taste buds may need to adapt to the new flavors. It
takes many, many times of eating the same food for some children to accept the
taste.
Read Eat Healthy, Feel Great, by Dr. William Sears. Talk about the differences
between the nourishing food at home and the party food that is available at
parties. Discuss how eating 'party' foods all the time will make their bodies
break down eventually.
Relate their performance at school and in sports and hobbies to the foods they
eat. They will think better and focus longer when their brains are nourished.
They will run faster and jump higher when their muscles get the food they need.
Be on the lookout for older role models to point out to your kids - ones that do
take care of themselves physically.
Talk with your pre-teen and teenager about how food affects his or her
appearance and mood. Make a plan to go on a sugar-fast together for two weeks
and see what changes you each experience. Talk about it each day to see if they
are experiencing detox symptoms and cravings so you can help them understand
their bodies are trying to get healthier and the cravings are because they are
hooked on sugar. Once it is cleared, they will begin to feel better.
Monitor how much candy, pop, cookies, muffins and other non-nutrient foods your
children are being offered at school, church, friends' homes, etc. It is your
right and responsibility to say something if you prefer your child not to have
those foods.
If your children are resistant, try to breathe and do your best. The moment we
give in to demands for something else to eat or for sugar, they know we are not
so serious about making changes. Be consistent, just like with all other
parenting decisions, and your kids will take you seriously and know that you
truly value their health and happiness.
Ideas For Sharing Stories
With Children
This two-part article discusses the ways in which stories and
storytelling play an important role in children's lives. Techniques are
offered for using stories to help develop children's verbal skills and
imaginations. This is part one.
Parenting Discipline - Teaching
Children Self Respect, Self Control and Empathy
For many parents, the words parenting discipline have very negative
connotations. There is the association with their own childhood and the
often unpleasant memories that thinking of discipline raises. Then there
is the association of the word discipline with ideas around corporal
punishment, with spanking, hitting and hurting children.
Who Owns The Problem; Parent or Child?
It is tempting for parents to assume ownership and responsibility for everything that goes on in the life of their child. However, when the parent jumps in too soon to solve the problem or give the answer, the child never learns to trust his own judgment and become a critical thinker.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
Being Left Is The Definition Of A Mother
To be a successful mother you must be left. Not left handed, nor to the
left politically, but just left. This necessary abandonment comes in
gradual stages and the steps toward this goal are painful to be sure.
The Uneducated Palate
When did you learn to really enjoy food? How about experiencing taste
and textures? I think children develop a taste for food a lot sooner
than we think.
Ways of Dealing With
Separation Anxiety
All parents will remember how difficult it was to leave their children
when they were young, and some of us had to deal with unhappy children
suffering from separation anxiety, again and again and again! Veronica
shares some tips on how to make the partings easier.
Math Games
for the Active Child
To put it in a nice way, my son is rather squirmy. He doesn't like to
sit still for very long unless he's playing a video game, then it's just
amazing. So instead of constantly telling him to sit down and do his
math, we take it outside or up the stairs, literally...
