Parenting Strategies

Bourcier et al.’s article made some pretty interesting observations. Among them is the observation that strategies that use negative comments in order to reinforce healthier eating were less effective than strategies that involved the use of positive comment. It would seem that children associate emotions very easily with food. So if children associate negative emotions with the food they are eating, their relationship to that food will be negative. The opposite is true with positive emotions. If positive emotions are associated with eating a certain food, then the relationship to that food will be positive. This is, in my opinion, an extremely important observation when it comes to making a healthy diet harmonious with a child’s emotions. With more positive strategies it is easier to make children eat healthier.

            

Another interesting observation made is that being too strict on a child’s diet can backfire as they grow older and seek independence. This is because unhealthy food intake can be a form of rebellious behavior in a household where parents are strict when it comes to diet. In this sense having certain sense of freedom when it comes to food choices can also be important in having children adhere to a healthy diet.