Your Child's Eating Habits

Children are not born with the knowledge of how to eat a balanced diet.  Certain influences over their lifetime will develop good eating habits or bad eating habits. Parents are very important influence on the eating habits a child develops.  If a parent has good eating habits themselves, this is a great start on the eating habits a child can develop over their lifetime.

A parent who eats healthy, balanced meals and snacks will demonstrate the good eating habits a child will see and imitate for a life time.  Children who see parents eating balanced meals and are offered other alternatives for healthy snacks will be less likely to become obese.  This is not guaranteeing your child will develop good eating habits - there are other influences like television, peers and school activities, all influences which can affect a child’s eating habits.

Pay attention to the shows your children are watching.   Also, get involved with the amount of television your child watches and how much physical activities they are involved in.  Invite their friends over to join in family activities.  Check out what is being served at your child’s school.  Also, getting involved in organizations like the PTA can help you have a say in what the school is serving for lunch.

The bottom line is your involvement as a parent is very important to the development of your child’s eating habits.  There is no guarantee your child will develop good eating habits or bad eating habits, but your involvement is a good start.