A new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of drinking.
By Caitlin St John Alcohol is the most abused substance among U.S. teens, and once kids enter high school, the usage rates increase dramatically. Approximately 79 percent of teens have tried alcohol by the time they enter 12th grade. A new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has set out to pinpoint risk factors and prevent binge drinking with expert advice. The report suggests that parents should begin talking to their kids about drinking at an early age — even as young as 9 years old. Although the threat of drinking may not be immediate, this is when children begin developing impressions about alcohol consumption—and you may be surprised by how early some adolescents are introduced to alcohol: Last year, one in nine 8th graders reported having been drunk at least one time. Parents can use real life situations or scenarios that appear on TV in order to begin the conversation about the dangers associated with drinking. Teens who choose to drink tend to resort to binge drinking, making it even more crucial for parents to start an open dialogue. Additionally, the AAP says that parents should not allow teenagers to drink in their own home, and parents should monitor their own drinking habits—as 80 percent of adolescents report that their parents are the number one influence when it comes to whether or not they drink. "Kids do listen to them ... even though they might pretend they don't," said Lorena M. Siqueira, M.D., M.S.P.H., FAAP, a member of the AAP's Committee on Substance Abuse, in a press release. Caitlin St John is an Editorial Assistant for Parents.com who splits her time between New York City and her hometown on Long Island. Follow her on Twitter: @CAITYstjohn Alcohol is the most abused substance among U.S. teens, and once kids enter high school, the usage rates increase dramatically. Approximately 79 percent of teens have tried alcohol by the time they enter 12th grade. A new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has set out to pinpoint risk factors and prevent binge drinking with expert advice. The report suggests that parents should begin talking to their kids about drinking at an early age — even as young as 9 years old. Although the threat of drinking may not be immediate, this is when children begin developing impressions about alcohol consumption—and you may be surprised by how early some adolescents are introduced to alcohol: Last year, one in nine 8th graders reported having been drunk at least one time. Parents can use real life situations or scenarios that appear on TV in order to begin the conversation about the dangers associated with drinking. Teens who choose to drink tend to resort to binge drinking, making it even more crucial for parents to start an open dialogue. Additionally, the AAP says that parents should not allow teenagers to drink in their own home, and parents should monitor their own drinking habits—as 80 percent of adolescents report that their parents are the number one influence when it comes to whether or not they drink. "Kids do listen to them ... even though they might pretend they don't," said Lorena M. Siqueira, M.D., M.S.P.H., FAAP, a member of the AAP's Committee on Substance Abuse, in a press release. Caitlin St John is an Editorial Assistant for Parents.com who splits her time between New York City and her hometown on Long Island. Follow her on Twitter: @CAITYstjohn http://www.parents.com/health/parents-news-now/when-should-you-talk-to-your-kids-about-alcohol/?sssdmh=dm17.883408&esrc=nwpdbk022716&scrlybrkr
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When and how do you teach kids about money? Check out this timeline that starts during preschool and ends during high school.
Written by LearnVest Whether or not your child's idea of a fun toy is a cash register and fake coins, the fact remains that as a parent, it's your job to talk about financial responsibility with your kid. But how young is too young to talk about budgeting or, say, credit reports? After all, we don't want them to grow up and start hiding money under their futons. We tapped Erica Sandberg, national personal finance expert and author ofExpecting Money: The Essential Financial Plan for New and Growing Families, to help us lay out money milestones for every age. "It's important to remember that every child grows and matures at a different rate," Sandberg says. "But if you stick with this general guideline, you'll be off to a great start -- and you won't miss any important topics."Age 3: Practice WaitingAt this age, kids should be learning about patience, and how to respond when they don't get something they want right away. The simple lesson of delayed gratification will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Activity: Tell your toddler that you'll give him a cookie now if he wants it, but you'll give him two cookies if he waits an extra ten minutes. See what he chooses and try to encourage him to wait for the extra cookie. Lesson Learned: Be patient and wait for a bigger payoff, rather than always going for instant gratification. Age 4: Go Over CountingYour kid won't understand the finances behind money at this age, but he should be good at counting and basic addition. So, this is the year to start linking those budding math skills to the concept of money. Activity: Give your child a mix of coins and have her start by counting how many there are. Each week, introduce a new coin with its name ("this is called a quarter") and have her practice picking it out of a pile. Once she's learned all of the coin names, have her separate the pile into all of the different types, and keep growing the pile each week to escalate the challenge. Lesson Learned: The names and sizes of each coin (plus math practice). Age 5: Associate "No" With SpendingKindergarten is when peer pressure starts to rear its ugly head, so stop the peer-inspired begging for stuff ("but Tommy has one!") before it even starts. Activity: Tell your kid that you can't buy everything you want, so you have to choose the items that are most important to you. The next time your kid sees two things he wants at the store, make him choose just one. It can be just as hard for moms to say no as it is for kids to hear it. Lesson Learned: It costs money to buy things, so you can't always get everything you want. Age 6: Start Giving AllowanceThis is the year of "make it work." Many experts advise starting kids with an allowance around age six, which means that if they want something just for fun, it's up to them to save and figure out how they'll get it. Activity: Start giving your child an allowance on a weekly basis. The exact amount will vary depending on your situation and personal history, but a rule of thumb is a dollar per year of age, so you might want to start your kid with about $6 a week. Note that some experts say allowance shouldn't be tied to chores: It's a tool to teach your kid about managing money, not to pay her for household duties she should be doing anyway. Get answers to any other allowance questions you might have at LearnVest.com (see Resources below). Lesson Learned: If you want something, figure out how much it will cost and save up. More LearnVest.com Resources:Age 7: "What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?"This is about the age when teachers start to ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. That makes this a good time to talk to your child about career and work. You should cover the fact that, though you go to work to earn money, if you're lucky, you also enjoy it. Try to instill positive feelings toward work and earning an income. Activity: Ask your kid what he wants to be someday, and have him draw a picture representing his dream job. Do this activity with him, sketching out a picture of you and your job (it doesn't need to be artistic). Explain what you do at work, why you chose that field and why you like it. Lesson Learned: People work to make money, but they should try to choose their jobs based on what they enjoy. Age 8: Show What Household Things CostBy this age, your kid's understanding of addition and subtraction should be advanced enough that she can easily understand the broad concept of money coming in and going out. So, this is a good age to explain that, although you make money at work, you have to spend some of it on bills. Activity: From now on, let your child sit next to you while you pay the bills. These numbers -- especially rent or mortgage -- will be too big for her to thoroughly comprehend, but you can let her help you with some of the math operations to balance your checkbook, like adding up the cents column in your transaction ledger. Lesson Learned: Adults have to pay bills, but that's not a problem as long as they save up money from their paychecks. Age 9: Open a Savings AccountBy age 9, kids are old enough (and self-possessed enough) to understand the concept of saving money for items they need and want. This is the right age not only to set up a savings account but also to include your kid in the action so he feels ownership over it. Activity: Open a custodial savings account with about $30 (see Resources below), and tell him you've done so. Don't let him withdraw money at will -- if he wants to save up for a big purchase like a bike, he should talk to you about it -- but tell him that you'll take him to the bank to make deposits whenever he wants. For every dollar he contributes, consider offering to match it. For more tips to get your kid interested in saving, visit LearnVest.com (see Resources below). Lesson Learned: It's fun to save money! More LearnVest.com Resources:
Activity: Take all of your cards out of your wallet and go over which one is for debit, which is for credit, etc. Explain the differences between them. Then, when you're at the grocery store, let her swipe your card for you. Point out what that means for your money: If it's a debit card, she's deducting money from your checking account. If it's a credit card, you might want to say something like, "Swiping this equals borrowing money from the company that gave it to me -- if I don't pay it back on time, they'll charge me extra, but I always pay it back on time!" Lesson Learned: How debit and credit cards work, and the importance of always paying back credit cards in full and on time. Age 11: Immunize Against AdvertisingMiddle school is an era that's all about fitting in. At this age, kids are getting a ton of messages from all over the place, all about how they should do or buy certain things to be "cool." Take this time to bring your kid back to earth. Activity: Go through a magazine together and point out how many different ads there are for different brands. Take guesses at how much those advertisers paid for those ads, and explain that they're trying to manipulate the emotions of consumers to get them to buy more. Even things that are trendy are often cool because advertisers paid to make them seem cool. Do the same thing whenever you watch TV. Lesson Learned: Don't fall for the brand-name trap. Age 12: Demonstrate Wise PurchasesAs children start to reach puberty, they should start preparing to make their own wise purchasing decisions. Plus, within a few years they'll start settling into more adult sizes, so they should start discerning when to go cheap and when to buy quality items -- and how to identify that quality. Activity: Take your kid shopping. At the store, point out a cheaply-made object and a higher quality alternative. Explain how you tell the difference (the feel of fabric and cut; reputable brands, etc.) and when you choose the cheapest option or higher quality item. If you feel strongly about buying sustainable or eco-conscious products, explain what that means, how to identify those labels and why you're willing to sometimes spend more on them. (See Resources below to read a guide to conscious consumerism.) Lesson Learned: Price isn't always the determining factor in buying decisions -- the key is to choose smart purchases rather than just the nicest or the cheapest. More LearnVest.com Resources:Age 13: Interact With the Stock MarketBy now your kid will recognize these words when she hears them, either on the news or at school. Too many adults feel a total lack of confidence around money, so get your child in the habit of asking for clarification on financial concepts she doesn't understand rather than simply nodding along. Start by making this hard topic accessible. Activity: Tell your kid, "I invest my money in the stock market to help it grow; in the short term, there's the risk of losing money, but over the long-term it's one of the best ways to make the most of my money." Show her a historical graph of the S&P 500 (you don't have to tell her that name -- you can just call it "the market" for now) so she can see that, although the numbers sometimes dip, they tend to rise over time. If you want more guidance on these topics yourself, check out the LearnVest.com weekly newsletter, The Market by LearnVest (see Resources below). Lesson Learned: How the stock market works, what it is and why people invest in it. More LearnVest.com Resources:Age 14: Make Your Kid WorkAt this age, young teens start going out with their friends and spending money more independently than before. Allowance might no longer cover everything your kid wants, so, if that's the case, make him work for it. Activity: Whether it's by babysitting or mowing neighbors' lawns, let your kid feel his own power to make money and the freedom that comes from making his own spending decisions with that money. Emphasize the point with specific examples of how everything you buy can be measured with time. For example, if your teen wants a $120 sweater, explain that he'd have to babysit for 12 hours at $10 per hour to afford it. Lesson Learned: You have to work in order to get what you want... but if you do make money, you have a lot more options. Age 15: Open a Checking AccountOpen up a checking account for your kid as early as you beileve she'll be able to handle it. If she's responsible by nature, now's a good time to open an account where she can store her money and write checks. Do not add money to this account for her. She should seed this account from her savings or money from her after school job. Activity: For her to have an account in her name, you'll need to be a cosigner. You may need to sit down with a bank official to explain that you'd like to teach your kid financial independence as early as possible. Although you're a cosigner, let her know that she'll suffer her own consequences if she overspends from this account. Have her write checks for costs like her student activity fees, and sit down with her monthly to balance her checkbook. Lesson Learned: How to keep an eye on the bigger financial picture -- and how to manage a checking account. Age 16: Finding BalanceJunior year of high school is a pivotal time. Teens tend to be incredibly busy: sports, extracurricular activities, community service projects, AP classes. This is a good time for them to learn how not to lose their heads. After all, adults can also be overwhelmed by trying to balance work, outside projects and a personal life. And finances are often one of the first things to be pushed aside when you're under stress. Activity: If you suspect your teen is becoming overwhelmed, set aside an afternoon to find a solution. Make some hot chocolate, bake some cookies and go over his activity schedule together. Figure out whether he can shift around any obligations, and whether his schedule is unhealthily busy. Talk about how he handles stress, and what he does to relax. Lesson Learned: Everyone has limits, and you can push only so far. Money is great, but it's worthless if you're not leading a balanced life. Age 17: Explain Credit ReportsYour teen may be getting ready to go to college, but even if she isn't, she'll need to understand the ideas behind credit. Go over this with her now, before the bad habits of her peers get ingrained in her. Activity: Look up her credit report and score with her online (even if she doesn't have any credit yet, it's a good exercise to show her the steps involved -- if that's the case, you can just look up your own score). For a step-by-step checklist on how to do that, go to LearnVest.com (see Resources below). Ensure she understands the importance of keeping her credit score high by paying off every bill in full and on time. She'll need to develop good credit to eventually get loans for things she wants, like a house or a car, and it takes many years to develop a good track record. Lesson Learned: How to check your credit report and score, and why they're important. More LearnVest.com Resources:Age 18: Decide on Student or General LoansBefore your teen heads off to college or into the working world, he needs to fully understand how loans work -- he's borrowing money to use now, but he'll be paying interest on that money even while he pays it back. You've already covered credit reports; follow up that lesson with the importance of always paying account minimums, and, whenever possible, even more than that. Activity: Sit down together to go over student loans (see Resources below). Talk about whether your young adult will be taking on this financial burden, and whether you'll be helping. Both of you should understand the terms of any and all loans before signing them. For example, verify that he doesn't accept any student loans that start charging interest while he's still in college. Together, come up with a solid plan for saving money while in college and repaying those loans afterward. You can find more info on student loans from www.finaid.org/loans. Lesson Learned: Student loans can be a huge burden, and the worst thing to do would be to bomb your credit score in the process. Before entering into a loan agreement, make sure you understand all of the ins and outs, and that you're choosing the best loans for your needs. Originally published on LearnVest.com; republished with permission. Copyright © 2012 Meredith Corporation. More LearnVest.com Resources: By Kelley King Heyworth from Parents Magazine Roughly 1 in 3 kids in America is overweight or obese, but millions more “borderline” kids are on the cusp of a weight problem and need our help just as much. Doctors and proactive parents share their advice about how to fight fat without shaking a child’s self-confidence. A good mom doesn’t make a big deal out of it when her little girl carries a few extra pounds. That’s what Rebecca Lawson thought to herself when she first noticed that her daughter, Grace, then nearly 3, seemed to be a bit heavier, and a lot hungrier, than most of her preschool peers. “Grace had always been somewhere on the higher end of the weight charts,” she recalls. “But the portions were becoming out of control. Rather than eating just a few carrots, she’d eat the whole bag—and a container of hummus too.” A former dancer who was well aware of how body-image hangups can lead to disordered eating, Lawson didn’t intervene—until Grace had her 3-year-old well visit. The pediatrician checked Grace’s BMI (body mass index, which shows how heavy a child is relative to her height) and revealed that she was around the 80th percentile, just five points shy of “overweight,” according to growth charts. “The doctor said that she was one of those borderline kids who could either stay at a high but normal weight or cross over into having a weight problem,” says Lawson. The pediatrician preferred to try to head off a potential weight problem early on. To this mom from outside Boston, it just made good sense. Never mentioning the word weight, Lawson started taking subtle steps to help Grace be healthier. She talked to her daughter about recognizing her hunger cues—and to stop eating before getting that uncomfortable, “belly-bursting” feeling. Then, after realizing that Grace’s dance and gymnastics classes involved more sitting around than heart-pumping activity, she started encouraging Grace—as well as her younger son and her husband—to join her in backyard soccer games, weekend hikes, and bike rides. Today, Lawson is happy with her family’s healthier habits. But she’s hesitant to tell too many other parents what inspired them (in fact she asked that we use pseudonyms for this article). “At parties, parents automatically give Grace a second piece of cake when she asks for it. They’ll say, ‘She’s a growing girl. Feed her!’ You don’t want to be the fanatical mom, but having a child who’s on the verge of a weight problem but not obviously obese is sort of a lonely place to be.” Indeed, in the public conversation about the obesity crisis, you don’t hear much about kids who are simply a little chubby. Media reports and political campaigns focus on the children who are clinically obese (with a BMI above the 95th percentile) and, to a slightly lesser extent, overweight (at or above the 85th percentile). Each year, efforts to help these kids—through behavioralintervention programs, medications, and treatments for weight-related health problems—cost the U.S. around $14 billion. But returns on this investment are scant. While childhood obesity has recently dipped in certain subgroups, such as low-income preschoolers, it remains stubbornly high overall. To make a real impact, say many experts, we need to focus on children like Grace, often referred to in research circles as having a “highnormal” BMI. These kids may not look worrisomely heavy, but they’re at risk for becoming so. Children age 41/2 and under who have a BMI between the 75th and 85th percentile are six times more likely to become overweight or obese by age 12 than kids with a BMI in the 50th percentile or lower, according to a study from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. By then, the slippery slope becomes even steeper: 8 in 10 kids who are overweight or obese upon entering adolescence will remain so as grown-ups. It’s much easier to fix a budding weight issue than an established one, so intervening before these kids slide into a long-term problem is crucial. “This is true not only because bad habits are harder to break, but also because of the way that obesity alters your metabolism,” explains Stephen Cook, M.D., a pediatrician at Golisano Children’s Hospital, in Rochester, New York, and associate director of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight. “The longer you have excess body fat, the more your body will fight to keep your metabolism at that new ‘set point.’ ” In revised guidelines to help combat obesity published last summer, the AAP emphasized the importance of identifying kids early. Describing the success of treatment programs for heavy kids as “modest,” the AAP report suggested that obesity-prevention interventions should begin before a child approaches a BMI in the 85th percentile. “The earlier you start, the better,” agrees Parents advisor David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., who runs the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Children have a unique advantage over adults: They’re still growing, so they don’t have to lose weight to grow out of a minor problem; they just need to slow their rate of weight gain.” For a generation of parents reared on body-acceptance messages, the idea of red-flagging a little childhood chub may not sit right at first. My own 7-year-old’s BMI percentile in the low 90s caused some concern at a recent well visit, and it initially struck me as extreme to swap his favorite chips out of his lunch box or scrap dessert because of what looked to me like a little leftover baby fat. But the science shows us that small steps like these may be the most important investment we can make in our kids’ future. Big weight problems come with big health problems. Obese teens are more likely to have pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, bone and joint problems, and sleep apnea. Adult obesity is linked to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, and several types of cancer. And despite how common it is, “being fat” is the primary reason kids are bullied, according to University of Connecticut researchers. This may be one reason why childhood obesity is strongly linked with low selfesteem and depression in adulthood. “Obesity has now surpassed tobacco as the biggest threat to overall well-being,” says Dr. Ludwig. “Children are beginning life at greater risk for disease than any prior generation. Primary prevention is the key to reversing that.” Luci Gutiérrez He Isn’t Heavy... or Is He?It can be tricky to differentiate between a child who’s at risk for obesity and one who’s naturally big-boned or muscular. Studies show that we are poor judges of our own child’s weight status, even when a problem is seemingly obvious. In a recent study published in Childhood Obesity, researchers found that more than 96 percent of parents of overweight preschoolers and 78 percent of parents of obese preschoolers thought their child was the “right” size. Chalk it up to shifting perceptions. There are more heavy people in all walks of life, and many things from clothing to stadium seats are getting roomier to accommodate them. “Overweight has become so common that there’s a tendency for parents to view children carrying excessive weight as ‘normal,’ ” says Dr. Ludwig. “So many parents discount significant problems—it’s even harder for them to acknowledge developing ones.” Enter your pediatrician. In its newest recommendations, the AAP calls on pediatricians to calculate and plot BMI in children every year from age 2 onward, and to counsel families of kids who are overweight or at risk. While a high BMI alone doesn’t necessarily signal a health hazard—certain tall, muscled kids can healthily hover in a high percentile—it’s an important and easy-to-obtain screening tool. “Pediatricians need to look not just at BMI, but at other factors,” says Stephen Pont, M.D., M.P.H., medical director of the Texas Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, in Austin. “If a child is quickly crossing BMI percentiles, that could signal that he’s changed his eating or physical-activity practices. Having parents with obesity, excessive screen time, disordered sleep, and low household income also increase the risk of obesity.” And yet recent data show that less than half of pediatricians regularly plot a child’s BMI, let alone counsel parents about risk factors. Some pediatricians aren’t properly trained in obesity or feel they don’t have the time in a short appointment to discuss weight, says Dr. Ludwig. Also, weight remains an incredibly touchy topic. When moms on parenting message boards report being told by a pediatrician that their child’s BMI is too high, “Find a new doctor!” is a common retort. One of the most controversial issues in education right now is school-based BMI screening, which many states have adopted to alert families who may not regularly see a pediatrician. What began as a well-intentioned initiative has become a lightning rod for criticism. Parents’ chief complaint is how the results, often called “Fitnessgrams,” are stuck in kids’ backpacks rather than mailed home. “Everybody is beautiful,” reads one online petition to the U.S. Board of Education to stop weight checks in schools. “Students should not be told you have to look like ‘this’ or you fail.” Never Too Early Ideally, say doctors, we should be taking steps to ward off weight problems well before children are able to read and react to a Fitnessgram. In fact, the latest research suggests that the earliest interventions may have the greatest impact. Along with insisting on regular BMI checks through your child’s pediatrician, you can follow these tips to help lower your own child’s risk at any age. BABIES Many doctors think obesity prevention begins in the womb. Overweight women are more likely to have bigger-than-normal babies, and those infants are at high risk for growing up to be obese. “It appears that some degree of genetic programming can set a child up for obesity,” says Dr. Pont. A report last year from the University of Colorado School of Medicine revealed that stem cells in donated umbilical cords from babies of obese mothers that were cultured in a lab were more likely to accumulate fat than were cells from babies of normal-weight moms. Luckily, there are things bigger moms can do to help protect their babies. A 2014 Australian study showed that overweight or obese women who faithfully followed a nutrition and exercise program during pregnancy were less likely to have oversize infants. Breastfed babies tend to be at healthier weights as they grow. But whether you offer breast or formula, resist force-feeding. “It’s important, especially during this age of distraction, that we tune in to our babies, and watch their cues,” says Lara Field, R.D., founder of FEED, a private nutrition-consultation practice in Chicago. “When they turn away and seem less engaged in eating, they’re done.” Luci Gutiérrez TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS This may be the “sweet spot” for reducing obesity risk. When a 2- to 5-year-old develops a habit—good or bad—it tends to stick. The recent reduction in obesity levels among low-income preschoolers can be explained, in part, to the simple, healthy habits that are promoted in federal initiatives like Head Start, in which preschoolers typically have plenty of outdoor playtime and limited access to snack foods and screen time. To help your child, Field recommends you allow him to stop eating when he’s full, and set firm snack- and mealtimes. When Katie Murdock discovered her 21/2-yearold daughter’s weight gain was outpacing her height, she looked closely at her diet. “She was eating all the time!” she says. After Murdock added more fiber and protein to her daughter’s meals, she complained less about being hungry. “Instead of just eating a huge pile of strawberries for breakfast, she’d have berries with yogurt and a few tablespoons of granola,” says Murdock. “It kept her satisfied, and she began eating less throughout the day.” Consider serving low-fat milk or water instead of juice. Fruit juice makes up 44 percent of preschoolers’ beverage intake, on average, though pediatricians recommend that kids under 6 drink no more than 4 to 6 ounces per day. To make water more appealing, Rebecca Lawson adds sprigs of mint and serves it in a glass pitcher. She also displays cut-up fruit and veggies on a pretty white platter—it helps compete with brightly colored, character-laden packaged snack foods. “When I take time to prepare healthy treats in a fun way, my kids are always more interested in them,” she says. Above all, follow the healthy habits you encourage in your child. “This is an age when kids absolutely look to Mom and Dad for cues,” says Saba Khan, M.D., medical director of the Healthy Weight Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “If you’re drinking cans of diet soda and insisting your child drink tap water, that’s not going to go over well. Ideally, every member of the family should follow the same food rules, regardless of their size—and the whole family will be healthier for it.” BIGGER KIDS Older children who are at risk for or who already have a weight problem can learn to practice better habits. “I always tell my patients that it’s never too early nor too late to make a healthy change,” says Dr. Pont. (The same goes for parents who might want to work toward a healthier weight alongside their child: “I’ve seen adults adopt relatively few smarter choices and lose a substantial amount of weight and keep it off,” Dr. Ludwig adds.)Two big non-dietary changes that can help protect older kids: dialing back on screen time and increasing sleep time. For instance, it’s been well documented that as television watching increases, so does weight, and that’s especially true for children who have a TV set in their bedroom. And newer research shows that getting too little sleep can lead to too many pounds; sleep duration affects the hormones that regulate hunger, and it may also make kids too tired to be active during the day. Whether your child is overweight, obese, or at risk for becoming so, it’s key to find a balance between encouraging healthier habits and not making her anxious about her size. Erika, a mom from Phoenix who has an 8-year-old son with a BMI that fluctuates between the 70th and 90th percentile, has made sure that she offers only milk or water and has established “dessert nights” rather than feeding her kids treats every day. However, when her son came home from school worried that he was “fatter than his friends,” Erika focused on the positive. “I told him that the most important thing is that he has healthy habits, no allergies, is rarely sick, and is able to keep up with anyone on the playground and swim in the pool for hours,” she says. “I want him to know that I see his whole self—and that I want his whole self to be happy and healthy.” Grace Lawson, now 7, is around the 75th percentile BMI, which is a healthy number for her body type. She still loves food—but she has a slightly different relationship with it since her mom started talking, back in Grace’s Pre-K days, about the fact that food is fuel. “I always told her, ‘You need just the right amount of good food to run well, just like a car,” says Lawson. “She’s now more conscious about what she eats than other kids her age. It took some hard work early on, but she’s learning how to make her own good choices.” http://www.parents.com/kids/eating-disorders/childhood-obesity/is-your-child-in-the-obesity-danger-zone/?sssdmh=dm17.877610&esrc=nwpdbk021516&scrlybrkr_ |
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March 2018
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