New York Parents Club Founder, Pam Wolf

Greetings New York Parents Club!

I have some news… you are being watched.

Yes, watched…closely and intently.

By your children, that is.

Our children are always watching…looking up to us for guidance and example.

So this week, let’s examine the example we are setting in our homes where healthful eating and exercise are concerned.

Many of you have set personal New Year’s resolutions, vowing to make changes to your diets.  Maybe you are working on eating less… passing on salt or sugar…or actually using the gym membership you’ve been paying for each month for years.

What about the health of our children? We live in a world of partially hydrogenated oils, corn syrup solids and candy bars calling from the newsstand entrances of nearly every subway line.

Now remember…they are always watching.

If I’m having Poppycock and egg nog at 9:00 pm (which I don’t recall ever doing, but you get the picture), no matter what holiday or special occasion I am using to justify the indulgence, my four children will be happily partaking; hungry or not.

Likewise, suppose I am skipping dinner each evening in attempt to shed a few pounds. My children could be watching me create anxiety around food….and anxiety in children translates to fear.

So, is it truly “everything in moderation?”

Or more accurately…”everything in moderation except for the list of no-no foods tacked to the refrigerator door fresh from the pages of Skinny Bitch?”

In my home, when one family member is cutting back a little for health reasons, we all trade our ice cream for fresh fruit come dessert time.

Your turn!

What are you doing for yourself, your children and your family to encourage healthy eating and exercise in your household?

What works?

What are some tips for cultivating a healthy lifestyle without emanating food-related anxiety that could drive our children into over-indulgence or restriction?

LET IT OUT,

Pam Wolf