Monthly Archives: April 2013

Child Fitness, Family Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Clean plate policies may cause unhealthy eating habits later in life

“You’d better finish what’s on your plate or your aren’t getting any dessert!”

We all remember hearing that familiar phrase as kids while sitting at the dinner table, staring at those now-cold brussel sprouts that refuse to disappear. As it turns out, the combined findings from two new studies show that pressuring children to eat everything they are given, and denying access to some desired foods, are both factors that could form unhealthy eating habits and increase the risk of obesity later in life.

The studies monitored how the parents of adolescents handled the dietary intake of their children and found that parents who restricted access to junk food typically had overweight or obese children while parents who made their children eat even after their kids said they were full had children of an average weight.

However, the studies show that both of these practices could harm children as they grow older by altering their normal eating habits. Children who were restricted from eating certain foods typically over ate that item when it was made available to them.

Meanwhile, it was found that making children clean their plates “…takes away from a child’s ability to respond naturally to their own hunger,” said researcher and lead author Katie Loth. “Instead, (it) encourages them to respond to cues in their environment which can lead to unhealthy weight gain over time.”

The study authors recommend that parents be role models for healthy eating habits by making good food choices and setting the example of an appropriate eating habits.

 

Bullying, Self-Esteem, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Bullying is the biggest predictor of depression symptoms in special needs kids

By now we’ve all heard about the bullying epidemic in our schools and communities, but one segment of the population tends to get overlooked when discussing these issues.

In a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the biggest predictor of depression symptoms in special needs children was being bulled or feeling left out by other children.

This study collected the data from questionnaires completed by special needs children ages 8-17 and their parents or guardians about bullying and exclusion from their peers. The results showed that bullying and being left out were the main indicators of increased symptoms of depression or anxiety, not their disability.

“What is notable about these findings is that despite all the many challenges these children face in relation to their chronic medical or developmental diagnosis, being bullied or excluded by their peers were the factors most likely to predict whether or not they reported symptoms of depression,” the study’s lead researcher Margaret Ellis McKenna, M.D., said.

Parents and teachers need to sit down with special needs children and explain what bullying is and how to describe an incident if it happens to them so it can be reported and taken care of. It is also important to ask how the child is feeling emotionally and looking out for signs of depression and anxiety.

Bullying is a big problem in this country, and to stamp it out, we need to make sure that we are working to solve the bully problem for everyone.

Child Health, Motivation, Self-Esteem, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Persuasion and Motivation For Our Kids

Everyone needs some motivation from time to time and when it comes to getting a child to do something, it can be difficult to say the least. Younger children don’t realize that what we try to get them to do is actually in their best interests and by the time they hit adolescence, they have their own priorities. So what can we do to encourage them to do something?

We can achieve this by first asking our kids to do something instead of ordering them to do what we want. “Could you please clear the kitchen table?” Next we explain why we’re asking them by setting our request into context. “We are done eating and need the dirty dishes put in the dishwasher so they can get cleaned.” Present them with options, not threats. “You could either do it now, or when you’ve finished your dessert.” If they have not agreed to help you by this point, confirm their non-compliance. “So you don’t want to clear the table?” If they still refuse, now is the time to take appropriate action. Explain to them that you can help them and the job will go quicker that way. Or if they are really misbehaving, a time out or other repercussions may result.

There is no fool-proof way to motivate our children into acting or performing a certain way, but by reasonably guiding them towards a desired outcome you can avoid starting off with an argument.