In Part One, I exposed several ways that parents have perhaps unknowingly contributed to the health issues facing our kids today. If you have not read it, please do so before you read this.
Today in America our children are plagued with chronic health conditions including Colds, Allergies, Asthma, Ear Infections and Tooth Decay. As well as, Behavior/Learning Disorders like ADD/ADHD, and Eating Disorders, primarily Anorexia, Bulimia, Diabetes and Obesity. All linked to processed foods and poor nutrition while parents are not being accountable.
If you are dealing with a child who has become addicted to processed foods, it will be like doing a drug rehab. I am sorry, but that is the sad truth. Children are like sponges and even when you squeeze out as much as you can, they will still hold the imprinting unless they are left to 'dry out'. Information can only do so much. Action must follow. That means that you, as a parent can no longer continue to provide the poor choices. It also means that they will sneak over to a friends house and get it anyway (depending upon age). They will be surrounded by it everywhere, and your home should be the sanctuary. As the authority, it is up to you to eat the same foods that you are expecting them to eat. Don't fool yourself into thinking you can hide it from them either. Just like kids find the loaded gun, the booze, or the drugs that some parents think they so cleverly hide or lock up. They will find the snack stash.
If you are somehow under the delusion that it is 'bad parenting' to deny a child what it wants, you need to get help first. No child will starve itself, and missing a meal due to stubbornness won't kill them. You are not being cruel, and CPS will not come banging at your door. Parents often create picky eaters by giving them the option to be picky, in the first place. No child under the age of 6 should be choosing in the foods they eat. Parents should be noting which 'good food' they enjoy and serving it to them, as a portion of the entire meal.
Expect tears and fits, whatever the child is use to doing, in order to get the 'reward' (food) from parents in the past. If you are easily embarrassed, grow up! If they throw a fit take them aside and deal with it. This is your child, disciplining your child is good parenting. Discipline does not mean punishment. It is defined as an activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training. I left an entire cart of groceries in the store, apologized to the people who had to put all the food back, plopped my sons who would not stop arguing into the car and went home. That night, we had peanut butter sandwiches and green beans. I told them we could have been having meatloaf (their favorite), but they would not behave, so it had to stay at the store. The next trip to the store they remained quiet and were very excited to know that meatloaf would be dinner this time.
An excellent activity for getting kids to eat real food, is allowing the child to prepare part of the meal. Discuss the importance of the food and why it is necessary to eat it. How does it help the body grow? Why does it help keep illness away? Make the food into fun shapes or funny faces on the plate. When they are eating something they claim to not like, watch the child, the gag reflex can not be faked. You can see it at the bottom of the neck, the muscle will push food back up. Never force the food to be eaten, encourage and experiment with it.
Many 'overeating' habits are formed by parent forcing kids to eat, or finishing everything on their plates, often with a bribe of dessert (imprinting). This is not necessary, just don't 'reward' a child who will not eat real food, with a snack food later. Always give small portions on a big plate. This forms a mental thought process of perhaps not having enough to eat. If the meal is not finished and not being hungry is the reason. Let them leave the table. Put the plate in the fridge. If 'hunger' arrives later, and a snack is requested take the left over food from the meal and offer it a second time. If they are suddenly not hungry again, dispose of the food, in front of them. and Inform them that there will be no more food that night, then let them go to bed without eating. By morning they will most likely eat a better breakfast. Stay strong, do not be an enabler.
Enabler: one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior by criticizing or rescuing.
We must begin at the beginning. In the beginning was a garden and everything needed to sustain life was within the Garden. I am a grandparent, I want my children's children to know the lessons and not repeat the mistakes. I see them, I talk to them, I tell the stories.
I have a website and a new t-shirt line to help raise awareness of how critical REAL FOOD is. Your support enables a voice to be heard all across the world. http://eatingrainbows.net/eating_rainbows_t-shirts.
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