A Tool for Every Parent: Building Healthy Bodies and Minds
Children and youth hear and see many messages on health, body shape, and size. The effect of these messages can be positive or damaging. Parents can help their children by role modeling healthy behaviours and positive attitudes.
It is not about being perfect when it comes to healthy behaviours and positive attitudes. It is about realizing you can inspire and influence the choices your child makes.
Ways to role model healthy behaviours and positive attitudes:
Physical activity
Make being active a normal part of everyday life:
- Take part in physical activity to feel good and strong, and to have fun.
- Try different activities to find the ones you enjoy most.
- Reward children and youth with active play.
- Try not to take physical activity away as punishment.
Healthy eating
Provide a variety of nutritious foods:
- Plan, shop, and prepare meals and snacks together.
- Enjoy a variety of tasty and nutritious foods from each food group.
- Listen to your body — eat when you are physically hungry and stop when you are full. You don’t have to finish everything on your plate.
- Eat regular meals, including breakfast.
- Eat together. The conversations that come up at meals help children and youth build communication, decision making, and social skills, as well as their self-esteem.
- Use positive words like “everyday” and “sometimes” to describe food choices. Labelling foods as “bad” or “wrong” may cause a child to connect food to guilt, which can lead to a negative body image and unhealthy eating habits.
Self-acceptance
Create an environment of acceptance:
- Take care of your body and understand that health looks different for everybody.
- Treat yourself and others with respect — speak about different body shapes and sizes in a positive way.
- Challenge the thoughts that make you feel bad about your body. Be kind to yourself.
- Compliment others for their efforts and accomplishments instead of for their looks.