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Walk the Walk
Being a Nutritional Role Model for Your Children
By Mark Stackpole
Terra Wellington, syndicated wellness columnist and author of The Seven Elements to Balanced Living (Wellington Media, 2002), believes that a father plays a critical role in establishing a healthy and positive growth environment. "When your family is young, sometimes it doesn't seem like children notice or pay attention to how well you eat, but as they start to grow, they begin to observe their surrounding world more," she says. "There can be no denying that if the surrounding world contains parents who are conscious about what they eat, then the children will take on a number of these traits as well."
With the frequently stressful pace of life today, adults often turn to unhealthy habits like drinking, smoking and eating too much junk food. When children observe the way that their parents handle stress, it is likely to rub off. "Children learn how to cope with life through parental problem-solving – a father should help look for solutions and show a great attitude by smiling and enjoying life," Wellington says.
Armin Brott is the father of three girls and author of several books on fatherhood, including his newest, The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year (Abbeville, 2004). He offers a cardinal piece of advice for fathers looking to show their children that they care: "Be there. Be somebody the child can talk to."
For example, it is important to take special care when watching TV with the kids: "Have a discussion about what they ar seeing," Brott says. "Children are faced with a barrage of commercials for unhealthy products – help them understand that commercials are about people making money." With the potential for so many negative images in messages on TV and in real life, Brott points out that a father should take the time to acknowledge other positive role models when he sees them and "share information about other people who are doing well."
