why should i avoid using food as a reward or to calm my child?
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Tips for parents
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AVOID REWARD OR EMOTIONAL FEEDING
• Avoid using food as a reward or punishment for your child’s good or undesirable behaviour. Instead think of other things you
can use (e.g., praising good behaviour with a sticker, or by playing a game with them, and having consequences for
unacceptable behaviour, such as removal of a toy).
• Avoid using food as a way of showing love for your child. Instead give them a hug or tell them how much you love them.
• Discourage your child from using food to calm or soothe themselves. Instead think about other ways that help them calm down
(e.g., taking a walk with them, playing outside).
• Discourage your child from eating in response to emotions or their environment. Instead encourage your child to eat when
they are hungry and stop when they are full.
• You can help your child to identify feelings of hunger and fullness by talking about your own sensations of fullness (e.g., "I
don’t need to eat anymore, my tummy is full").
• Also encourage extended family members, such as grandparents, to follow these tips and provide them with a copy of the
Confident Body Confident Child Extended Family Book.
• Avoid using food as a reward or punishment for your child’s good or undesirable behaviour. Instead think of other things you
can use (e.g., praising good behaviour with a sticker, or by playing a game with them, and having consequences for
unacceptable behaviour, such as removal of a toy).
• Avoid using food as a way of showing love for your child. Instead give them a hug or tell them how much you love them.
• Discourage your child from using food to calm or soothe themselves. Instead think about other ways that help them calm down
(e.g., taking a walk with them, playing outside).
• Discourage your child from eating in response to emotions or their environment. Instead encourage your child to eat when
they are hungry and stop when they are full.
• You can help your child to identify feelings of hunger and fullness by talking about your own sensations of fullness (e.g., "I
don’t need to eat anymore, my tummy is full").
• Also encourage extended family members, such as grandparents, to follow these tips and provide them with a copy of the
Confident Body Confident Child Extended Family Book.
PROMOTE EATING FOR APPETITE
• Promote your child’s natural ability to self-regulate how much they eat rather than you as a parent trying to limit how much
they eat, or pressuring them to eat more.
See Activity 9
• Avoid telling your child to eat all of the food on their plate, as this may teach your child to override their feelings of fullness.
• Provide your child with a variety of nutritious food options and allow your child to decide which food, and how much, they will
eat from these options.
• Try to avoid having strict rules around the foods your child eats. Having a balance and variety of a range of nutritious foods is
great, but also allow your child to eat ‘sometimes’ foods in moderation. Banning ’sometimes’ foods may lead your child to
over-eat them when available.
• Promote your child’s natural ability to self-regulate how much they eat rather than you as a parent trying to limit how much
they eat, or pressuring them to eat more.
See Activity 9
• Avoid telling your child to eat all of the food on their plate, as this may teach your child to override their feelings of fullness.
• Provide your child with a variety of nutritious food options and allow your child to decide which food, and how much, they will
eat from these options.
• Try to avoid having strict rules around the foods your child eats. Having a balance and variety of a range of nutritious foods is
great, but also allow your child to eat ‘sometimes’ foods in moderation. Banning ’sometimes’ foods may lead your child to
over-eat them when available.