I was THE babysitter growing up. It was what I did from the time I was 13 until after college! Being in and out of so many houses, one thing that always stuck out was that each family had pretty different ways of teaching nutrition. Some families ONLY ate natural non-processed snacks, some allowed juice, some just water, a few families were all organic, and some had schedules for meals and snacks, and some didn’t have rules at all. Okay great, so what the heck am I going to teach my kids and HOW am I going to do it?
Is it right to tell a child that they CANNOT eat certain foods at all? Is it okay to have foods in the house that you don’t want them to eat but you let yourself eat? Should you tell them no at a party when all of the other kids are making Willy Wonka inspired ice cream sundaes? Am I over-thinking this whole idea?
I started early on with my 3 year old teaching her what healthy verses what a treat is. I would point to an apple and say, “Is this good for your body or is it a treat?” and then show her a cookie and ask “Is this good for your body?” She picked up very quickly that fruit and veggies were good and chewy snacks and Pirates Booty were a treat! She still gets confused if yogurt is a treat or good for your body, but if she thinks it’s a treat mama’s serving that for dessert!
We are to the point where if it’s 7:30pm and she says, “Mom, I want chewy snacks.” I say “No, but you may have a yogurt stick or a banana.” Of course she fights me, but I fight back harder! If there is a tantrum I will ignore it until we’re calmed down and then ask if she would still like the yogurt or banana. Just tonight she wanted a treat before dinner and I just ignored the request, plated dinner and had her come to the table. About two bites in she asked for a treat again, which I replied with, “You need to eat more dinner because that is what is going to help your body grow.” And like a three year old she refused to eat what I made for dinner. I told her it was fine if she didn’t eat the dinner but that means she still cannot have the treat. Is this THREEnager thing a phase? She did end up eating two bowls of papaya and never asked for a treat so I call that a dinner win in my book.
I don’t want to be super strict, but I do want each of my kids to know a small bit of nutrition and find a healthy balance. I wish I had a little bit of knowledge earlier on in my life.
How are you teaching nutrition in your house?
