There Are No Cookie Cutters For Kids

If you’re like most parents, you want your kids to eat healthy. For some of us, that involves planning and prepping meals ahead of time. Doctors stress the importance of a healthy balanced meal, and often criticize us when our kids show up to a doctor’s appointment a few pounds overweight. We sometimes leave the appointment feeling like we’ve missed the mark. While keeping up with what the doctor orders is ideal for some, for others it may be a bit unrealistic.

All children are not created equal. There are some that can eat tons of food a day and not gain an ounce. Others may have a bag of chips and gain ten pounds. The idea, as with any weight loss plan or lifestyle change, is moderation, and obsession is not moderation. There is a big difference between counting calories and placing an electronic tether on your child that beeps when they are in possession of a candy bar! The prize is in the balance. Your children should have a moderate amount of healthy foods and a moderate amount of unhealthy foods. With proper exercise, they will be fine. Now, there are some who have a medical condition that causes weight gain, and those situations are best dealt with by following the doctor’s orders. But for everyone else, chill out and don’t have a cow if your 10 year old want to have Skittles every once in a while. And if your 7 year old is ten pounds overweight, don’t make a big deal out of it. Help them out by giving them a few more activities to do. You don’t want to create panic and give your kid a complex.

The point is to make you, as the parent, understand that your child will not fit into every category and physical label that professionals have created. Don’t bring on their misery by trying to make into them something that they may not be meant to me. Make sure they get exercise and feed them a balanced diet of healthy foods and some of the not so healthy foods (if they so choose). You will be much happier and so will they.