I said at the beginning of this book ‘Don’t tell them it’s healthy’ but the word health need not be banned for very long. Once you have listened to your child and marketed good food to them, and once they are a true believer and eating well, then you can praise them for being… ‘healthy’. Commending them for being healthy will yet again help to reinforce the good behaviour so they are more likely to continue to eat the nutritious food you prepare for them. Now you’re armed with all the information you need to convince your child that healthy food is a must-have if they want to be strong, clever and gorgeous. But there are some rules of your own that you must commit to memory: Remember to be patient and praise your child’s efforts along the way. For example, ‘Jack, I like how tried the spinach’ or ‘I can tell you’re making a real effort to eat your vegetables and I’m proud of you for trying’. Also make sure you don’t end up waffling on too much about the virtues of green beans as this can end up irritating, rather than inspiring your child.
Use short and concise sentences and have set ‘slogans’ prepared such as ‘Iceblock day is Friday’. And give your child time each day to absorb the new information. This means walking away from a ‘Veggies make you strong’ conversation (pretending like it’s no big deal to you) after you have said your words of wisdom.
A wise sage does not get irritated or start nagging if his words aren’t understood immediately. He smiles to himself and thinks maybe tomorrow you will understand. Okay, dramatics aside. Relax and enjoy the time you spend educating your child and know that within a month they will be eating healthier food of their own accord. They will also know the household rules about junk food, they’ll understand exactly when ‘sometimes’ is and they’ll realise that healthy food can be fun.
Best wishes and please let me know how you go with marketing nutritious food to your child.
Health and happiness,
Karen
