One of the most rewarding experiences you will have in this lifetime is raising children. There are a variety of things you will have to do in order to keep your children happy and healthy. When it comes to teaching a child about weight and diets, you will need to work hard to avoid making mistakes. The things that children are taught at a young age stick with them for life. Working with an organization like iSelect is a great way to find out how to approach a child about issues regarding health and drugs. The following are some of the biggest mistakes you need to avoid when it comes to a child’s weight and body image.
1. Do Not Bash Your Own Physical Appearance
One of the most common mistakes parents make when it comes to their child’s body image is bashing their own body right in front of them. If you stand in the mirror and pick apart every imperfection with your child standing right there, you are inadvertently showing them this is alright. While it is perfectly normal to have things you want to work on regarding the way you look, you need to avoid making this process so frequent and negative. Teaching your child that they are perfect the way they are will allow them to develop a lot of self-confidence.
2. Avoid Talking About Dieting Constantly
You need to remember that your children will watch everything you do intently and mimic the behavior they see. If all you ever talk about is being on a diet or how you need to go on a diet, it will lead to your child doing the same thing as they age. Teaching your child about eating healthy is a great idea. Rather than talking about how fat you are and how you need to diet, you have to be an example for your child. If they see you eating healthy and being positive, they will do the same thing.
3. Making Jokes About Another Person’s Appearance
While laughter is a key part of any happy household, you need to focus on the type of humor you are teaching your child. Making jokes at another’s expense is not only cruel, it teaches your child that is it okay to demean another person. Bullying is a real thing and it is usually taught to a child by their parents. Instead of laughing at a person’s physical appearance, you need to teach your child how to encourage others. Showing them how to be positive and helpful will serve them well as they age and get out into the real world.
4. Obsessing over Calorie Counting
Teaching your child about healthy eating is important, but there are times when it can get to be a bit much. If all you talk about is counting calories and avoiding certain foods, you run the risk of making your child obsessive about the food they eat. It is a good idea to show a child how to eat healthy, but you have to walk a fine line between eating healthy and obsessing about every morsel of food that goes into your mouth. As a child ages, you want them to realize that in some situations, eating foods with high caloric value is okay.
5. Treating Your Kids Differently Based on Their Size
Another mistake that you need to avoid when raising children is treating them different based on their size. If you have a child that is relatively thin and one that is a bit heavier, the last thing you want to do is make them aware of this fact. Letting one sibling have a certain type of food while denying the other child will give them a complex and could scar them for life.
The team at iSelect is passionate about providing children with the tools they need to develop into responsible and caring adults.
