Being a Healthy Example for Your Child

I had the great experience of speaking at a local middle school, addressing 6th, 7th and 8th graders in their Health Classes. Based on their curriculum, I addressed topics such as fad diets, body image and living a healthy lifestyle.

These kids were great! So honest and so full of questions. It was very gratifying to talk with them and hear what was on their heart. There is so much mis-information around them - things that they see [on tv, magazines, internet], things that they hear [on radio, tv], but most of all, what they see and hear at home.

It is SO important to be a healthy example for your child! 

These kids are in middle school. They are not young children anymore, but they are not teenagers yet either. The 6th graders are still innocent and somewhat childish, the 7th graders are cool and comfortable and crazy [I can say this because I have a 7th grader], the 8th graders are maturing, body-wise and mood-wise. They are more somber and serious, still crazy, but serious about issues. They had a lot of questions for me. And so I listened...

I saw them nod when I talked about the crazy diets out there, I heard them when I said things they agreed with, like having parents who are overweight and on a diet. Moms who never lose the baby weight. Moms who just have a poor metabolism. Moms who have a candy/chocolate stash somewhere in the house. This is nothing new to them. These kids KNOW what is going on. They LISTEN to everything that is being said in the house. When Mom [or Dad, don't want to leave the guys out] is miserable about her weight or appearance, they hear all of that. They hear the talk of crazy one-time diets, the fat-burning pills, the workouts - and they are confused. They are confused just like Mom is because it's not working. And all the attention is focused on the fact that it's not working.

I've been there. I tried everything I could for 8 years to lose weight, nothing worked!

I just sat down with these kids and gave them information, educated them about words that they hear, shared with them experiences that I have been through and seen in my clients' lives. You could hear a pin drop. These kids are VERY interested in being healthy. These kids are very interested in having healthy families. They want to be healthy. And many times, their hands are tied because of the choices of their parents.

Fast food, sugar-overload, processed foods are the most common obstacles to them. Not having healthy foods available, fresh fruits and veggies.

I remember when my kids were very young, I took every precaution to make sure that every day, they got the right amount of fruit, the right amount of veggies, healthy breads, healthy foods. My daughter did not have a french fry until she was one-year old and that was only because Mema gave her some. I wanted to keep her pure. I wanted her to be healthy. Meanwhile, I grazed on my chocolate stash daily and tried pills and shakes to lose the weight I had gained from carrying her. And this was a pattern I repeated with each pregnancy and child.

We spend so much time in the early years preparing and watching over our children, but we don't realize that they are spending their middle years preparing and watching over us. They are seeing the choices we make. They know what's going on.

My kids knew me when I was overweight and they know me now as a fit person for the last 9 years. They've seen the bad and the good. I think they like the good better, I know they do, but they've also made the choice themselves to be a healthy person. They see the bad that is out there, but they make choices because they know what is good too. Many parents want to shield their kids from anything bad - bad teacher, change the room; bad kid in a class, get rid of them; bad kid in church, change churches. They think if they never let their kids see anything bad or experience anything bad, they will just turn out good. When the kids are seeing the bad anyway. But they don't get the opportunity to take control themselves and work through situations. Same thing with health - they see the bad, but they don't get the opportunity to take control of their eating because the parents buy the food. They don't get the opportunity to work through it because they just eat what they are fed.

Parents, please be a healthy example for your child. Please TALK to them about food and nutrition and exercising and most of all, balance and moderation. Healthy living is NOT about crazy fad diets or pills or strenuous workouts. It's about balance and moderation of nutrition and exercise. Educate yourself on healthy living so you can share it with your children.

I've seen these wonderful kids and what is in their heart, now show them what is in yours, what is truly in your heart. I am here to help you...