Send This
Site to a Friend
Teach Your Children Positive Self-Image Through
Fitness
Lynn Bode
Raising a pre-teen or teenage daughter (or son) is not easy and
can cause any parent a lot of stress. There’s so much to worry
about – dating, drugs, alcohol, school grades, just to name
a few. But one crucial element often gets overlooked until it
manifests itself in extreme ways (like through an eating
disorder). I’m talking about self-image. It’s extremely important
that parents ensure that their children have a positive
self-image, especially in relation to their body.
The key to ensuring strong self-esteem and a positive body image
starts with the parent. If you don’t feel positive about your
self-image, then how can you expect your children to? While this
is important for both daughters and sons, it is especially
critical for raising a healthy daughter. And beginning the
lessons when a girl is young is imperative, so don’t wait until
it’s too late – teaching your daughter to feel good about her
body needs to start at a very young age.
Eating disorder experts say girls are developing eating disorders
as young as 5 and 6 years old. And a recent study indicated that
70% of the sixth-grade girls they surveyed said they began
worrying about their weight between ages 9 and 11. Why are so
many young girls thinking that they are fat? Many are obsessing
about their weight because they have parents who are preoccupied
with their own poor body images.
While the statistics are disheartening, the good news is that
there’s a lot that can be done to help our children have positive
self-images. And, even small changes that parents make can help.
Here are few tips to help your children avoid warped and negative
body images:
· Establish a “no diet talk” rule. When your children are nearby,
DON’T talk about dieting or how fat you feel! This is extremely
important. Remember, kids are listening all the time (even when
you think that they aren’t – especially then). So, even though
asking your spouse or friend “do I look fat in this?” may seem
innocent, it can have a life-altering effect on your kids when
they repeatedly hear it.
· Parents aren’t the only adults that influence their children.
Set the “no diet talk” rule mentioned above for all adults that
are around your children. This means you shouldn’t allow your
friends, parents, siblings, neighbors, or anyone else to talk
about being fat or being on a diet when they are around your
children.
· Set a good example. If your children never see you engage in
fitness or if they hear you complain about working out, then they
are going to have a negative image of exercise. Let them know
that you workout to stay healthy, to be strong and to have more
energy and stamina (so you can keep up with them)!
· Get your kids involved in sports. Experts say that playing
sports really helps build confidence and improves self-esteem
(especially for girls).
· Teach your children to include physical activity as part of
their daily routine. But don’t force them to exercise. Make sure
that the physical activity is seen as something fun to do rather
than teaching them to think of exercise as a necessary evil. Good
activities include taking a nightly family walk, turning off the
t.v. and instead turning music on that you all can dance to, or
taking a weekend family bike ride.
· Try to prepare (or if you are short are time purchase) healthy
meals. And teach them the importance of good nutrition. Don’t let
them have the misconception that there are “good” and “bad”
foods. If a kid thinks that candy is a “bad” food, then naturally
they will just want it more. Just try to encourage your kids to
eat a balanced diet each day and to eat sugary or fatty foods in
moderation.
Remember that something as small as talking about losing weight
in front of your kids can have very detrimental effects on their
self-image as they age. Damaging behavior learned from a parent
at a young age can take years for a child to overcome. So, the
sooner you start incorporating the tips above into your life, the
better for you child. But don’t forget that it has to start with
you – make sure that you are incorporating healthy fitness and
eating rituals into your daily routine and that you have a
positive body image (no matter what your size or shape is)!
Lynn Bode offers her personal training services online through
her company, WorkoutsForYou.com. Workouts For You provides even
the busiest of people affordable, personalized exercise programs
for losing weight, toning-up, building muscles & increasing
stamina(via the Internet). The programs can be done on their
schedule and in the comfort of their own home (or gym or
on-the-road). Membership includes one-on-one fitness
consultation, animated exercise demos and much more. Visit
www.workoutsforyou.com
for a FREE sample workout.
Find More Related Info:
Also See:
Index of Parenting &
Raising Children
Teenagers & Teenage
Issues
Our Health and Wellness Center
