1. Be a Positive Health Model: Don’t talk about your weight issues or put yourself down in front of them. They will think being healthy is hard or just be turned off by the idea of Healthy Living all together. This is the exact opposite of what we want. Kids follow by example!
2. Set Goals: Say that you are going to try 2 new foods this week or walk and extra 10 minutes on tonight’s family walk.
3.Be Supportive: Celebrate Successes! Let them know how proud of them you are. This helps give then a good self image. Reward them with something you all can enjoy together.
4.Let Kids Experiment: Let them try different physical activities. They will stick with something they enjoy doing longer. Don’t make them stick to something you can obviously see they just can’t stand. Don’t think of this as letting them be quitters, think of it as an experiment!
5.Balance Good Habits With Bad Ones: Show them that you can still be active while watching T.V. Like running on the treadmill while watching your favorite program. Or get the interactive video games so they can get up and get moving!
6.Plan Family Activity Times: Do stuff together! Take a family walk in the evening, ride bikes, get silly and turn the music up and dance, play hide and seek ! Anything works as long as you are together and burning calories!
7.Don’t Reward or Punish with Food: We have all heard are moms saying “ If you eat all your veggies I will give you a cookie!” This just idolizes the cookies and makes the veggies seem like they are bad. We don’t want this, we want them to enjoy their food!
8.Try New Foods: It takes 10 to 15 tries before your taste buds decide they like something! Try to incorporate different colors into your diet. Say one day your going to eat purple and the next you will eat green. Its a great way to try new foods and get the kids involved!
9.Understanding Why: Make sure that they know why being healthy is important. If they have a better understanding of why they are changing their habits, it will easier to convince them to be active and eat healthy.
10.Not Just About How Much You Weigh: A healthy lifestyle is about the way you feel and having enough energy to do want you want. Don’t make it about your image.
Being positive with your kids is the best thing that you can do for them. And remember to always celebrate success , even if its something tiny! You and your family will be happier and healthier even if you just implement a few of these tips.
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