1. Get them involved in the meal planning, shopping and cooking.
When your child is able to have some say within the boundaries of healthful food, you are giving them the opportunity to make healthful choices. You are also teaching them valuable skills for the future as well as letting them in on the fun world of cooking! They will probably be more apt to eat something that they helped prepare or at least give it a try. Empower them to make these good choices.
2. Set up a rewards system for working out.
One of the best rewards systems I’ve heard of tackles two birds with one stone. Your child might be obese due to a sedentary lifestyle. This comes of course from the wonderful world of technology. Rather than having a screaming match every time your child has had too much “screen” time, revamp your system. It’s alright if they play on the computer or watch television, but they have to earn that time through exercise. Make a stack of notecards with individual activities. Allow them to choose, but assign a certain number of reward minutes given the difficulty of the task at hand. When they’ve completed their activity, reward them with a “screen minutes” ticket. By doing this, you encourage your child to exercise and limit their screen time.
3. Check out a fun fitness camp for kids or teens!
The days of “fat” camps are long gone. Today’s fitness camps designed to help children and teens start down a more healthful path for life incorporate mega fun activities and tons of healthful food choices. Your child is guaranteed to have a good time and learn the valuable skills that they will need to lose weight and stay on a healthy path.
