How to Teach Your Kids Emotional Eating

Published:  06/12/2016

I saw this picture posted on Facebook today with the caption "surprise for the kids after school today - its summer!!".  And the person who posted it has gotten 30 likes and many affirming "you are an awesome mom, what a great idea!" comments.

There is more to summer than junk food.

As a professional who helps adults "unlearn" patterns of emotional eating so they can get to a healthy weight, this is disturbing. Emotional eating patterns are learned: A kid who is given a junk food in a situation like this this learns to associate junk food with summer fun. A child who is given candy after a big accomplishment may grow up using candy as a reward for a job well done. A kid who is given cookies as a way to stop crying may learn to link cookies with comfort.

So, as an adult realize that this is why you may connect food and fun. As a parent, please help your kids associate fun, accomplishment and comfort with something other than food.

An alternative to this well-meaning mom would have been to have new pool toys, tickets to a water park, a map with fun destinations circled...you get the idea! 


Categories:   Mindset  Weight Management 

Tags:   #healthyhabits

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