I'm Changing

Do you love yourself? If you're like me you have flaws, many many flaws, but I hope you can look past those or at the very least not vocalize any of the personal critiques. There are children in my area being seen for eating disorders at 8 years old. Yes 8. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. 


Scary Facts (via anad.org)

• 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner 
• 47% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures.
• 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat 
• 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems.

So Moms & Dads here are some things I've done and some I've heard...

• Lets stop talking about being fat, (phat is okay because well you are). If you think your child's chub is cute then criticize your own, you're confusing the little one. That child's chubby chin is freaking adorable and so is yours. 
• Don't tell them you work out to "get skinny" or "lose weight" you workout because its healthy and fun. 
• Stop the "that's bad food" food can't be bad, its food, it can be healthy or unhealthy but not bad.
• Teach them to be the boss of their hunger, no more telling them they have to eat more. I've now created a container that my child can get into with random foods that she can access at any time. If she doesn't like dinner or is hungry before dinner is ready, she can go to that container & choose whatever she wants. 
• No more "rewards" (exception is potty training in our case) no more "if you eat dinner we will get ice cream" 

 Are you guilty of any of these & willing to change?