4 Mistakes We Can Avoid
Sometimes we prioritize Happy over Healthy — and that's when it all starts. Here are four common mistakes parents make and how to avoid them.
All parents want their kids to stay healthy and happy. But sometimes we prioritize Happy over Healthy — and that’s when it all starts.
Happiness is not a short-term objective. It goes beyond making a child happy in the moment. It’s a path that starts with making the right choices today for a smiling tomorrow.
Here are four things where we might be going wrong — and can easily fix.
1. Don’t make feeding your child the goal of your life
This only makes parents more pushy, creating too much stress for the child and for yourself. Instead, make healthy eating part of your personal choice. The child will gradually learn by watching you.
2. Stop eating for them
A very common mistake is making choices and judgments on behalf of kids. Allow them to choose and decide. Even a baby knows how much to eat — we all know what force feeding does. Make food exciting for better acceptability.
3. Exclusivity adds more challenges
As a family, eat healthy and make the child part of everyday food and cooking. Special foods are for special occasions. Don’t make every day exclusive — this only adds pressure on parents, and when you want them to try regular food, they reject it more.
4. Start it early
The right food exposure is like nursery school. You can’t lay the foundation once a child is over 10 years old. Catch them young and teach them right.
These things call for lots of patience and self-learning. Many times you’ll manage expectations, and many times you’ll fail too. But as long as the intent is right, you will raise a happy eater.