Giving Children Options

Have you ever noticed that crayon sets for the smallest children come in boxes of four or five while boxes meant for older kids have as many as one hundred crayons in them? Children need to develop a framework for success whether they are coloring or eating. Younger kids accept their four colors while they are still learning to color within the lines, but as they master these basic skills they grow to crave variety.

Of course, children of all ages need variety and a balanced diet, but smaller kids accept that you, their parent, are the one to decide what colors will be in their crayon box or what food will be on their plate. As they get older, however, start involving your kids in the decisionmaking process. This doesn't mean giving your eight-year-old twenty dollars and setting him loose in the grocery store. If you do that, you shouldn't be surprised if he selects twenty dollars' worth of snack cakes! What this does mean is that you should give your child options—healthy options—and let him choose from them. Do you want peas, green beans, or broccoli tonight? Do you want rice or potatoes? Would you like strawberries for dessert or watermelon? Offering your children choices encourages them to eat what you are preparing and makes them feel that you care about their preferences and desires.

More on: Healthy Meals for Families

Excerpted from:

From Raising Healthy Eaters: 100 Tips for Parents by Henry Legere, M.D. Copyright © 2004. Used by arrangement with The Perseus Books Group.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.