by Charles Ringling, M.Ed., CEAP
Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children. – Walt Disney
Parents want the best for their children. They do what they can to help their children grow up healthy. Helping them develop healthy attitudes and healthy diets are two key things that can make the difference between a child growing up physically and mentally sound or growing up disadvantaged:
WHAT IS ATTITUDE?
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines attitude as “a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state.” Many view attitude as a judgment about a person, group, or thing, leading to an opinion, emotion and tendency to act. For example, two children receive identical presents. One is disappointed while the other is pleased. Their expectations influenced their responses and shaped their attitudes.
CAN ATTITUDE AFFECT PHYSICAL HEALTH?
Attitude can definitely affect a child’s physical health. Chemicals in the body influence the immune system, which then moderates the child’s attitude. Although such other factors as genetics, family health history and environment act upon a child’s health, a positive attitude can help enhance the effectiveness of the child’s immune system. Furthermore, the child’s attitude is an essential part of coping with illness. Children with healthy attitudes manage their illnesses more effectively than those with negative attitudes.
CAN ATTITUDE AFFECT EMOTIONAL WELLBEING?
Attitude greatly influences a child’s emotional wellbeing. A child with a healthy attitude can handle stress, letdown, failure and rejection better than one with an unhealthy attitude. Consider the child who wants inline skates for a birthday gift but doesn’t get them. If that child can talk about all of the other wonderful presents, he or she will experience much less stress than the child who spends the birthday pouting. Attitude can also influence how and why children learn, and how they perform in school.
HOW DO PARENTS INFLUENCE THEIR CHILD’S ATTITUDE?
Children watch their parents, who have a powerful effect on the development of their child’s attitude—but parents are not the sole influence. Other contributing factors include the child’s physical development, history of illness, presence of siblings and relationships with relatives, teachers and peers.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO HELP DEVELOP HEALTHY ATTITUDES IN CHILDREN?
Parents play the most important role in helping their children develop healthy attitude in many ways:
HEALTHY BEHAVIOR: PROPER NUTRITION
It is important for parents to understand the basics of proper nutrition, especially for young children since they grow so quickly. Children are at risk for inadequate nutrition regardless of socioeconomic levels. Some children do not get enough to eat because their families cannot afford to buy enough. Others who have enough may choose diets that are high in fat, sugar and salt, putting them at risk for heart problems, obesity, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
WHAT IS GOOD NUTRITION?
Nutrition—how a body uses food—goes together with growth, health, and learning. Good nutrition fosters proper development and enhances learning. Because no one food has all the required nutrients, good nutrition results from eating a variety of foods in the right amounts to help the child grow and maintain health. The child who eats poorly loses interest quickly, lacks energy, becomes sick more often and is irritable.
The “right” amount of food depends on the child's age, size, and physical activity. One good guideline is to offer one tablespoon each of meat or other protein, fruit, and vegetables per day for each year of age up to age 5. For instance, a 3-year-old might eat 3 tablespoons each of meat, fruit, and vegetables, but appetites vary greatly and more food may be needed during growth spurts. Let children decide how much they need.
All foods are acceptable, but some should be eaten every day while others, such as sweet foods, could be reserved for special occasions.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF UNDER-NUTRITION?
Even mild under-nutrition is a problem. It increases how long a child may be sick and also limits learning, not only through school absences but also because sick children do not interact well with others. Poorly nourished children tend to be less physically active, less curious, less attentive, less independent, less responsive socially and more anxious. These traits keep them from developing reading, verbal, and physical skills, among others. Hungry children tend to be irritable, disinterested in learning, nervous, timid, passive and unable to concentrate.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO HELP DEVELOP HEALTHY DIETS IN CHILDREN?
Be flexible in planning diets. Substitute different foods from the same food pyramid group for variety. Keep offering fruits and vegetables, even if the child rejects them at first, because they provide vitamins and minerals. A child will usually try a new food if not forced to eat it. Since children learn about foods by tasting, touching and smelling, you should offer different shapes, sizes, and textures to stimulate interest. Let the child help to prepare these foods. Do not worry about how much your child eats at a single meal or even in a single day. The choices generally should even out over a week, and should provide a balance of nutrients to meet the child’s needs.
IN SUMMARY
A child’s early attitudes can have a significant impact on the rest of his or her life, bearing heavily on the adult’s perceptions and responses to events of daily living. Most adults display the same basic attitudes they learned in childhood. Mark Twain said it crisply: “People change. But seldom.”
Early eating habits also carry through life. Proper childhood nutrition can establish lifelong eating habits, contributing to children’s overall wellbeing and helping them grow to their full potential. They will have greater ability to experience exciting opportunities, explore ideas, develop imagination and reinforce learning.