Child obesity rates have doubled over the last decade, and with these numbers rising, health problems continue to rise, as well. Overweight children are at high risk for becoming overweight adults, placing them at risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease later in life. According to many doctors, overweight children are also more prone to develop stress, sadness, and low self-esteem.
We can blame the increase of overweight children on the rise in junk food being available. We can blame it on school lunches being unhealthy. We can blame it on the lack of physical activity that children are required to get at school. There is even some validity in the rise of childhood obesity being tied to a more sedentary lifestyle, with the rise of technologies that place kids in front of the television, the computer, the video game monitor, than in decades past when kids ran outside and played. Regardless of what factors are to blame for the increasing numbers of children becoming obese at a young age, one thing is certain: the solution doesn’t lie within the blame. The solution lies within teaching good habits, preaching good habits, and practicing good habits – not just with nutrition, but also with fitness.
If you are the parent or relative of a child who is at risk of obesity and want to offer help, here are some things to consider:
- To ensure that the child does not feel singled-out, participate in the healthy lifestyle change as family or a team
- Make sure to communicate to the child that the changes are not a punishment – the changes might be difficult, but discuss the health problems that could arise from continuing to be inactive or without a healthy diet
- Give the child choices about their new lifestyle. Ex., let them compile the grocery list, and discuss their healthy choices. If they are lacking healthy choices, use it as a learning experience and teach them why their choices aren’t ideal. Ex., give the child a choice with the physical activities that interest them. They might not want to go for a bike ride, but they might like laser tag.
- Choose a goal or reward to help your family celebrate its progress. If you find success with the changes in nutrition and adoption of healthier eating habits, treat yourselves to a family dinner and movie night. If you’ve found success in a fitness plan, find a family vacation that works for all of you as a reward.
Some tips to adopting a fit lifestyle for the entire family:
- Make it fun. If a child feels like they are in boot camp and running laps around the track, they aren’t likely to want to do this activity in their leisure as an adult. Find activities that will enthuse them while having fun with the entire family.
- Make it a habit. Instead of watching television right after dinner, take a half-hour walk each night as a family. Choose different destinations, such as playgrounds or other neighborhood locations.
When traveling with kids, it’s best to think ahead. You want to make sure you have the essentials without over-packing. We’ve compiled a list of things that might help you pack a bag with all of the basics. Depending on how you are traveling (by car, train, boat, or air), you’ll want to pack to accommodate your needs. If you are traveling by air or boat, for example, you’ll want to consider taking no more suitcases than the adults can carry in case you are in a rush.
Research your destination’s climate and season to ensure comfortable travel and pack according to the season. Most likely, you will be able to do laundry, so don’t over-pack. Take something comfortable to travel in, comfortable shoes, a casual outfit, a dressy outfit, rain ponchos, and swimwear.
More important than clothes and the appropriate footwear is your travel documents. Make sure you have your identification, passport and/or visa, copies of immunization records, copies of custody papers, parental permission forms, credit cards (just take two—each adult should have one), cash, and health insurance cards. Leave enough time to get your passports back after you apply for them. Any trip can turn sour if any of these important documents are lost or stolen, so consider investing in a document organizer and wear it under your shirt or belt to avoid being the victim of a pickpocket or thief.
Make sure all travelers have the vaccinations they need to travel. Don’t forget to pack your medicines, prescription and non-perscriptions (band-aids, Dramamine, benadryl, asprin, and other first-aid essentials).
Along with all of the essentials, make sure to bring things that will help you document your memories such as a digital camera, a journal to write in, sketch pads, and a video camera. Don’t forget the chargers for each digital device you pack.
When traveling with small children, it is best to allow them one comfort item to take with them. This could be a blanket or stuffed animal.
The basics: a checklist
- First aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Sun hats
- Lip Balm
- Sunglasses
- Water
- Activities (coloring, dvd player, iPod with kid playlists, puzzles, games)
- Hats
- Towels
- Swimsuits
- Lifejackets (if traveling to a destination with water)
- Insect repellant
- Medication
- Insurance cards
- Epi-Pen (if your child is allergic to stings)
- Small flashlights or headlamps
- Snacks (trail mix, crackers, power bars, dried fruit, cheese, baby carrots, granola bars)
- Toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving items, shampoo, deodorant, a roll of toilet paper, and depending on the ages of the children: diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream
For children whose parents are in the military, life can be stressful. Some families hire a nanny to help while one parent is performing active duty, other families have the unique situation where both parents are deployed. Whatever the dynamic of the family, one thing is for certain: the best way to work with kids to help them understand their parents’ absence is to communicate. Here are some helpful things that might help you if you are the parent or nanny who is working with a child whose parent has been deployed
- Talk to the children about what is happening: discuss that mom or dad has to go away for a while and when they can be expected back.
- Don’t put life on hold: Make sure the family continues to plan goals and projects that include the deployed parent—don’t wait until the parent returns home in order to do things as a family.
- Give responsibilities to children so that they know they are trusted and counted on to have a responsible role in the family (that is age-appropriate) that is important.
- Continue family traditions (such as attending church, family bowling night, family movie night, etc.).
- Devise a plan to communicate with the deployed parent while they are gone. Include letter writing (include information about anything new with your family traditions, i.e., what movies you watched recently), email writing, or compile gift boxes with comforts from home (pictures, shaving cream, etc.).
- Listen to the child’s concerns and make sure you make time to hear them. Answer them as truthfully as possible. Be reassuring.
- Make time to play. The parent or caregiver who stays at home is the one the child interacts with most, so if this person is cross, melancholy, constantly worried or preoccupied, the child will be receptive to this. Make sure to communicate with children if you are having a short-tempered or worried day. Reassure them.
- Maintain a firm routine and consistent discipline. Children will feel safer within the same guidelines and with the same structure as they had in the past. Yes, they may have more responsibilities now, but the way you show them you love them hasn’t changed.
- Maintain a close relationship with the school and the child’s teacher. Make sure you communicate the deployment of the parent(s) with the teacher and ask them to be aware of signs of stress for the child. Be proactive and intervene early if the teacher sees any change in performance, concentration, behavior, or mood.
Preschool-age children: Choose books to read to children that support family love and how families are forever. Take pictures of the parent who is deployed and hang them up in the child’s room. Reassure the child that he/she will be missed, but that they will be okay and mom/dad will be home to see them again. Develop rituals that include the deployed parent in the child’s daily life (songs, stories, props, activities).
Elementary School-age children: Talk to children about the parent’s deployment and ask them what they think the parent will be doing. Find out what interests them about the parent’s deployment and incorporate these interests into a planned activity such as letter writing. Find ways to help the child feel useful rather than helpless. Some ways the child might find useful is to network with other children their age whose parents are also deployed and to form a community with these children. Provide the child with a secure and caring environment. Listen to any negative feelings they might have and reassure them. Communication is key to making this age of child feel safe.
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