Even if you grew up learning eating habits and coping mechanisms that have lead to you being overweight, it doesn't mean your children will grow up with weight problems. How we raise our children, what rules we impose on them, and what values we teach them is a choice.
Our parents, or other caregivers, did the best they knew how when they taught us our eating habits. They may have cajoled us into eating everything by being a member of the "Clean Plate Club". Or they may have used guilt by telling us to think of the starving children in China or Ethiopia. Somehow, being grateful for having food to eat meant we had to stuff our faces. How about the person who was given food to help them "feel better" when hurt or upset?
The reasons for a person's weight gain and difficulty in losing it permanently is as individual as the person. Being raised with certain values about eating that weren't necessarily healthy is only a handful of the reasons people become overweight. But they are a very strong presence in the minds of adults who have difficulty with being overweight. Those old tapes can play over and over in our heads influencing how we teach our children to eat.
Child Development
Children go through a series of growth spurts throughout their developmental years. They are often characterized by cycles of increased appetite and activity alternating with decreased appetite and increased sleeping followed by a growth spurt. Learning your child's unique growth patterns will help you understand their body's need for food.
Babies grow at a phenomenal rate during their first year. Right around the time they turn one, their eating habits change. For some babies it seems like an instant change. Many first time parents get very anxious over their child's decrease in appetite. This is where they may start the pleading or guilt games in an effort to coax their child to eat when they don't want to.
Everyone is born with the innate ability to regulate the amount of food we should eat. We also operate a lot on instincts. We instinctively know what kinds of foods our bodies need at any given time. This is where cravings come from. Young children also go through phases when they only like certain foods. This could be preference or nutritional needs.
Understanding our children's developmental and nutritional needs is key to bringing up our children with healthy attitudes about food and eating. As the parents, we are responsible for planning nutritious meals and offering our children a variety of healthy foods. We are also responsible for accepting our children's decisions on how much food he eats or whether he will eat it or not. Learn to take the emotional hooks out of food issues and your family will grow up with healthy eating habits.
Karen is a weight loss mentor who has life long experience with being overweight and battling weight loss and obesity related diseases. She shares strategies and information on her blog at http://karenjmiller.info/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_J_Miller
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