As I've been cleaning up my act, I've begun to think about ways to help my kids get and stay fit and healthy, too. I wanted to start this thread as a place for parents to share their ideas for translating this healthy lifestyle we're all working for to our kids.

My biggest problems with my 3 1/2 year old DD are:

1. physical activity. She's already becoming a couch potato, and prefers a game of candyland to a game of tag.

2. Over snacking. She's gotten adept at helping herself to food whenever she wants. I've tried putting things out of her reach, only to learn there's no such place left in the kitchen. She's wilier than a squirrel going after bird seed.

Some of the things I'm trying to do to put her on the right path are:

1. Incorporating physical activity into board games. With Candyland, we each start our turn by jumping to our feet and doing something physical (like touching our toes, or waving our arms).

2. Trying to stock the house with high volume, low calorie snacks, and steer her towards better snacks like grapes. I think maybe this week I'll stop buying the iced animal crackers (DH may throw a hissy fit at the store, but I think I can weather it).

3. Involving her in planning the week's menu, as well as cooking the food. This week I let her choose one meal. While Macs and Cheese isn't the lightest thing, she was very proud about planning a meal, and I paired it with a salad, corn on the cob, and Gardenburger meatless meatloaf (which I didn't like and don't recommend--it costs way too much for so little food).

4. Planning physical activity as a reward for good behavior. If she's good this week, she gets to go to the big playground for an hour Saturday, rather than eating lunch out Saturday.

5. Signing her up for gymnastics classes and swim lessons. Two days a week of organized exercise.

Anyone else have any tips?

alli

Alli,

That is so cute! I love that. It reminds me of my friend's son. When he was about her age. They are generally very healthy eaters, but had one really hectic week when they ate out a lot and had pizza and such. On Thursday, he asked his mom if she would make asparagus soup because "I feel like I haven't eaten enough veggies this week."

How can a mom say no to that?

Dawn

Yeah!
I love how you responded too.

I just wanted to share what my daughter said last night.

I had made a Chinese meal for us, with Teriyaki Tofu, Veggie Fried Rice, and some Steamed Brocolli topped with sesame oil, soy suace, and sesame seeds.

I put her plate in front of her with tofu and fried rice on it. She looked at it, then at the big bowl of brocolli sitting in the middle of the table. "Mommy, can I PLEASE have some brocolli? PLEASE?"

So I asked, "Have you been good enough today to have brocolli?"

"Yes!!!" So I heaped a bunch of brocolli onto her little plate. She ate it all, then asked for more.

I can't believe she thinks eating brocolli is a privelage, not a chore.

alli

Alli, you sound like a great mother...

As do the rest of you!

I hope someday to be in your league, and to have some little ones of my own!

Great thread Alli!

Fitness Tips For Kids

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4588053/

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Originally posted by Sandy:
Alli,
My daughter has been in Montessori schools for 4 years and we hope to continue long term. I have also taught in Montessori school. The way of teaching and learning offers such direct experience with materials and others - might fill lots of that need to do and create in your daughter. In most primary classrooms (3-6 year olds) the children prepare snack, serve snack and clean up real plates, forks and glasses. She'll love this!

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Sandy,

She already goes for 5 mornings a week, at the same Montessori I went to! She does love it. I think a lot of her independence at home is due to the independent environment in her classroom.

With the snacks--after the first month her teacher started referring to her and one of her friends as the class hostesses because they would try to spend the whole morning at the snack station dishing out snacks and drinks for all the other kids! The teachers used to ask me, jokingly, if I ever fed her at home since she always wants to play with the food at school.

alli

Alli,
My daughter has been in Montessori schools for 4 years and we hope to continue long term. I have also taught in Montessori school. The way of teaching and learning offers such direct experience with materials and others - might fill lots of that need to do and create in your daughter. In most primary classrooms (3-6 year olds) the children prepare snack, serve snack and clean up real plates, forks and glasses. She'll love this!

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Originally posted by TriGirl:
If it's the sense of accomplishment she enjoys, maybe you can redirect that in a more positive direction. Give her some other things that she can do "all by herself" that aren't food related. (Disclaimer: I don't have kids so these are the ideas of an amateur) like, dress-up clothes in her room, a play school desk with things like magnetic letters and other preschool learning toys (we loved to play school), etc. Also, maybe have her help you when you're cooking -- measure things out, etc. She may just be bored, too. Once the weather gets nicer maybe she'll find more fun things to do than raid the kitchen.

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I think she almost definately is doing it out of boredom. We knew pretty early on that she needs constant stimulation and can get bored really easily.

Her self-sufficiency does carry over into other activities already. She has a painting corner in my office where she can get her own paints out when she wants to. She routinely changes clothing three times each afternoon (sometimes out of a costume chest and sometimes out of her closet--I do a lot of laundry!). She has her own real computer loaded with educational games at her own desk right next to mine. She's already mastered the TV, VCR, and DVD player, but has lost interest in them. And so many crayons that I think we personally are responsible for the continued profit margin at Binney and Smith.

She just also likes to help herself to big snacks.

Hopefully next year I'll be able to afford full time Montessori for her, so she'll have the constant stimulation of other kids her age, instead of a working mother and baby brother.

alli

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Originally posted by Sandy:
Have you tried buying crackers and cookies that she does not like as much- maybe they would be less of a temptation. Also, can Fiona have a drawer with all kinds of empty containers that she can open, stack, maniplate? This might fill the need of "doing it" without the food involved.

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We have tried crackers that don't interest her as much, which she then ignores. But I have to buy the kid some snack of her own, and whatever that is, she goes nuts with.

Santa did give Fiona her own small kitchen this past Christmas--after I found her in the kitchen trying to make scrambled eggs by herself we decided to give her a safer and cleaner outlet for her urge to cook. I eat a bowl of invisible soup daily, and a dessert of phony ice cream topped creatively (today's had a strawberry, some peas, and a hot dog). This has taken care of some of the unsanctioned snacking, but not nearly all of it.

alli

I'm not a Mom, but I just want to say how much I admire all of you Moms for wanting to help your kids grow up healthy and with a healthy attitude toward food.

I am always envious when I meet young people who have been raised from childhood only knowing healthy eating. In some ways, sure, I think maybe they've missed out on a few things. But that is far eclipsed by the benefits of never having to experience the psychological pain of obesity or an unhealthy obsession with food.

Bravo, Moms!

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My son has a friend whose mom is obsessed with healthy food to the point that I think it is already messing up her 5 year old son. When he was at our house last week, they sneaked in and ate all of the Pringles. My son has NEVER done anything like that. He always asks, whines about my answer if he doesn't like it, but has never ever eaten behind my back. When his friend's mom was picking him up is when I noticed and I was telling them they had been told not to go in the house, and not to eat anything and she said that at another friend's house he had gotten into the Oreo's and had eaten them all. I think he's so deprived of "junk" that when he gets around it he can't control himself, and I don't want my son to be like that either.

There seems to be such a fine line of controlling what they eat, but not to the point of going crazy when you aren't around.

Dawn[/QUOTE]

Dawn,
I appreciate your post as I sometimes go too far in your friend's direction. I made it a point to buy a small thing (pint?) of Mango ice cream for my daughter this weekend. I am not much into ice cream- especially not mango and I knew my daughter would like it. I want her to have these things in moderation. She is invited to a birthday party this weekend and said that she might not have the cake because it is "not so healhty." I had a quick moment of panic inside and then talked to her about how it is good and healthy to have cake sometimes. Not every day, but at parties, it is great! I have also started buying Earth Balls at WF as she loves them and I don't regulate them at all. I tell her that she is responsible and can decide when to eat them and how many to eat. So far, she's had one or two in the past week. She's just not that into food and is also into pleasing me. There is always something to woory about with kids!
P.S. For Easter I got a big chocolate bunny- dark chocolate as she likes that and I prefer the less healhty milk chocolate!

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Originally posted by Alli Coffin:
I think she's just proud of her own ability to get the food (hence six half-eaten yogurts, not three fully eaten yogurts), but the end result is that she keeps helping herself to more food than she needs. Lately I've been trying to praise her self-sufficiency while at the same time getting her to put some of the large portions she's taken back into the box or fridge. Today she put her second box of chocolate soy milk back in the fridge without too much complaint (and then I praised her silly for doing it).

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If it's the sense of accomplishment she enjoys, maybe you can redirect that in a more positive direction. Give her some other things that she can do "all by herself" that aren't food related. (Disclaimer: I don't have kids so these are the ideas of an amateur) like, dress-up clothes in her room, a play school desk with things like magnetic letters and other preschool learning toys (we loved to play school), etc. Also, maybe have her help you when you're cooking -- measure things out, etc. She may just be bored, too. Once the weather gets nicer maybe she'll find more fun things to do than raid the kitchen.

Good topic.

So far, physical activity is not a problem w/my 5 yr. old son. He is highly active, and I do let him watch TV, but he doesn't just sit and watch, he's usually running around and playing while he's watching. Although, he would like to be outside playing more than I sometimes have time for, and that is a problem. This is one of the reasons for hiring someone to clean. Last weekend was beautiful, and we didn't even make it to the park because we were working (around the house) all weekend. He did have a friend come over Sunday, and they HAD to play outside the whole time.

Food is more of an issue...while my son does eat almost everything, and does seem to really like fruits and veggies, he does like junk.

He wants dessert every night, and my DH and I are trying to get it through to him that he can't have it every night. Although, I try to say that for dessert you can have a yogurt or fruit, rather than not giving him any at all, that way maybe he'll learn there are healthy options too.

He asks to stop for dinner a lot and usually I just tell him no, he gets fussy and then eventually gets over it.

I don't buy a lot of chips other than tortilla chips (baked), so he does get them sometimes but not that often.

I really try not to obsess about food around him. We discuss what is healthy, and what you should only eat sometimes, but I don't want him growing up obsessing about food. I want him to enjoy food (as far as a variety), but not be thinking about it all the time like I do.

My son has a friend whose mom is obsessed with healthy food to the point that I think it is already messing up her 5 year old son. When he was at our house last week, they sneaked in and ate all of the Pringles. My son has NEVER done anything like that. He always asks, whines about my answer if he doesn't like it, but has never ever eaten behind my back. When his friend's mom was picking him up is when I noticed and I was telling them they had been told not to go in the house, and not to eat anything and she said that at another friend's house he had gotten into the Oreo's and had eaten them all. I think he's so deprived of "junk" that when he gets around it he can't control himself, and I don't want my son to be like that either.

There seems to be such a fine line of controlling what they eat, but not to the point of going crazy when you aren't around.

Dawn

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Originally posted by Alli Coffin: but the end result is that she keeps helping herself to more food than she needs… but I don't know how else to stop her (other than padlocks on the cabinets, which wouldn't really teach her self-control).

alli

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Self-control kind of caught my attention. I had a mega huge a-ha! that's me! moment when I read about those of us with broken full switches in “Thin for Life”. I just can't rely on a signal from my brain that my stomach is full. I have no idea how to fix the switch. I totally rely on portion control to stop eating. I’m sure that I passed this trait on to my son. I’m pretty sure that his full switch has been broken since birth. I know by three years old it was totally and completely busted because he ate 10 fudgesicles (what a mess of a diaper…)

I can’t keep ice cream, chips, etc. partly because I might eat it all and partly because I feel an obligation not to let my son eat it all. If I have snack food in the house - all afternoon and evening is spent bargaining, begging, pleading, and sometimes sneaking “just one more”.

I don’t know if it is genetic or that I messed him up. At any rate, I am now longer trying to teach him any self control (since I don’t have a ton myself and can’t really model it). Plus, for years I used discipline and self-control to beat myself up. I’d been thin if only I had more of either one. Other people have also used discipline and self control to chastise me for not losing weight. I don't want to beat him up for something I don't have myself.

Instead, I’m focusing on teaching ds the exact same lessons I’m learning myself - keeping a clean pantry/fridge/freezer and portion control. He’s older than your kids but he knows why we don’t keep half gallons of ice cream in the freezer. He knows why I only buy ice cream in pints, single pieces of cake and single bags of chips. He gains weight as fast as I do and he’s going to have to watch what he eats for the rest of his life. There is no way I can teach him self control so I’m working on other skills.

Denise

Alli,
I often feel like I am trainning a dog too! I think it just takes that level of persistence and contstant direction for them to get it. Have you tried buying crackers and cookies that she does not like as much- maybe they would be less of a temptation. Also, can Fiona have a drawer with all kinds of empty containers that she can open, stack, maniplate? This might fill the need of "doing it" without the food involved.

Great thread, Alli.
With food, I don;t buy much that is not healthy. I do not use food as a reward. (Ok, sometimes I do, but I try my best not to.) Instead rewards for good behavior are time with Mom or Dad on at a special park or a game of tag outside. I know that this one makes me sort of a mutant among the Moms in my meighborhood, but we do not watch TV much at all. I think Sophia watches 1-2 hours per week. This has encouraged her to do other things- she does not sit around much. No TV has an amzing effect on upping the amount of physical activity.
We also do lots of organized activities like gymnastics, swimming and soccer.

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Originally posted by Bee:
I haven't had any issues with snacking yet. We have a very clean pantry so the snack options are very healthy. Right now the current favorite is a tie between Stonyfield Farms yogurt or hummus and carrot sticks.

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I try to keep the pantry pretty clean, here. The crackers are all TLC, and the cookies are from Our Family Farm (no hydrogenated oils, low fat and low calorie). We also tried kid sized Stonyfield farms yogurts. Fiona's problem is that she has no self control around the snacks--the last time I bought the yogurt, she opened all six in one afternoon, and ate about half of each cup.

I think she's just proud of her own ability to get the food (hence six half-eaten yogurts, not three fully eaten yogurts), but the end result is that she keeps helping herself to more food than she needs. Lately I've been trying to praise her self-sufficiency while at the same time getting her to put some of the large portions she's taken back into the box or fridge. Today she put her second box of chocolate soy milk back in the fridge without too much complaint (and then I praised her silly for doing it).

I'm starting to feel like I'm training a dog, not a child, but I don't know how else to stop her (other than padlocks ont he cabinets, which wouldn't really teach her self-control).

alli

Alli
What a fantastic thread! Very, very good idea!
I aboslutely LOVE your idea of doing something active between turns of candyland!

I have a 3 1/2 yr old daughter too and we also have issues with not enough activity - especially in the winter months. Some of the things we've done:
1. Swimming lessons (she loves it!)
2. Playdates at the park when it's more mild.
3. In the bad weather, she rides her tricycle in our unfinished basement while I roller blade behind her or in the garage.
4. She does my workout videos with me and also "helps" us in our home gym.
5. If we're watching TV, we try to do the Wiggles or Dora where they encourage you to get up and be active with them.

I haven't had any issues with snacking yet. We have a very clean pantry so the snack options are very healthy. Right now the current favorite is a tie between Stonyfield Farms yogurt or hummus and carrot sticks.