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Pint-sized Body Image
Shaping the Way Our Children See Themselves
By Lisa B. Samalonis
- Be a good role model. "Let them see you eating moderately and exercising moderately; extremes in either direction can present a bad example," she says. "Never put your own body down in front of your child or talk about dieting."
Focus on function. When discussing physical bodies, the focus should be on function, not appearance. For example, talk about what a good hugger they are, or how their body helps them to do so many fun things.- Avoid arguments about food. "Allow as much freedom as is practical for them to listen to their bodies regarding food," she says. "Let them eat when hungry and stop when full."
- Stock the house with "healthy junk food." Select some tasty picks, such as Genisoy chocolate covered soy nuts, Garden of Eatin' sesame blue chips and Brent & Sam's oatmeal pecan cookies, and incorporate it into their allotted calories. "This will be satisfying as well as nutritious, and can prevent binge eating on unhealthy snacks," she says.
It is never too early to help your child develop good body image, according to Debbie Mandel, fitness and stress management expert and author of Turn on Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul (Busy Bee Group, 2003). "The No. 1 way to do this is to exercise!" she says. "Do it with your kids to generate health and good energy. Go hiking, take nature walks, plant a garden, go to the beach – make your children feel a part of nature. Also, encourage your children to cultivate and express their own style."
Mandel points out that preschoolers respond to affirmations of what they are doing right. "Parents can boost self-esteem during each day and also create affirmation cards with pictures – together," she says. "Then each day shuffle like a deck of cards and pick the positive message of the day."
