10 super tips on learning from your little ones.
- Michelle May, M.D. BettyConfidential.com
There are a lot of crucial things we need to teach children as they grow - but they have some behaviors that we shouldn't try to change. In fact, we can learn a few things from kids, especially about eating! Don't believe me? Here are some important lessons we know as children, and forget as adults:
Eat when you're hungry. From birth, babies know when and how much they need to eat - and they cry to let us know, too! As they grow, this important instinct is often un-learned. By the time we are adults, most of us have learned to eat for many other reasons besides hunger - mealtimes, tempting food, advertising, free food, stress, anger, boredom, reward, consolation and celebration. By recognizing the difference between needing to eat and wanting to eat, adults can re-learn when and how much food they really need.
Stop when you're full. Infants turn their head away when they've had enough to eat, and toddlers will throw a plate of food on the floor when they're done. But as adults, we clean our plates because "there are starving children" somewhere, out of obligation or just because something tastes good (even though it never tastes as good as it did at the beginning.) I'm not suggesting that we start throwing our plates on the floor again. But we need to remember that food is abundant in our society, so there's no need to eat it all now.
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Hunger makes you grouchy. Being hungry, tired, or frustrated will make a child crabby, and adults are no different. Take care of your needs instead of taking it out on everyone around you.
Snacks are good. Kids naturally prefer to eat smaller meals, with snacks in between whenever they get hungry. That pattern of eating keeps their metabolism stoked all day. Adults who need to fire up their metabolism should try this, too.
Play with your food. Most kids love to examine, smell, and touch their food. Since eating is a total sensory experience, they get the most from every morsel. This childlike approach will help you eat less while enjoying it more. And you'll appreciate the aroma, appearance, and flavors more if you aren't driving, watching TV, or standing over the sink.
All foods fit. Children are born with a natural preference for sweet foods and quickly learn to enjoy fatty foods. Though parents sometimes worry about it, these "fun" foods can be part of a healthy diet. In fact, studies show that overly restrictive food rules cause children to feel guilty and ashamed and lead to rebellious eating. Sounds like the last time you weren't "allowed" to eat something "bad" on a diet, doesn't it? Children and adults both eat healthier when they learn to enjoy less nutritious foods in moderation.
Be a picky eater. Kids won't easily eat something they don't like. Think of how much less food you'd eat if you didn't settle for food that just tasted "so-so."
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You can learn to like new foods. It can take up to ten exposures of a new food for children to accept it. In our house, we have a two-bite rule. Everyone tastes two bites of everything; if they still don't like it, they don't have to eat it - but they have to try it again the next time we have it. Since that's the rule, there are no battles at the table and the kids often surprise themselves by liking something they thought they wouldn't.
Follow the leader. Face it. Kids watch and often imitate everything we do. If they observe us eating a variety of healthful foods and exercising regularly, then they'll learn to take good care of their bodies. Likewise, if they hear adults making comments like "I am so huge" and "She looks fat in that," then they're more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem and a judgmental attitude.
There is more to a party than cake and ice cream! Invite a child to a party and they'll want to know what they are going to get to do. Invite an adult and they'll wonder what food will be served. You don't have to avoid parties to manage your weight; just focus on the real purpose of social events - to be social!
Michelle May, M.D. is the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle and the founder of the Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Program that helps people learn to break free from mindless and emotional eating to live a more vibrant, healthy life. To buy the book, click here.
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