Children learn by example. They are likely to want to do what parents do, whether that's eating chips and watching television or bicycling. Since a parent's primary role is to give support, any action that denies support should be avoided. A more positive response is for the parent to listen to the child express his or her feelings about that teasing and then perhaps ask the child if other children are getting teased and for what reason. Likewise, putting children on a weight reduction diet is a form of punishment that asks them to ignore feelings of hunger and may lead them to believe there is truly something wrong with themselves for wanting to eat more than their parents want to give them.
Prevention is the very best cure.
Ideally, parents help their children learn to recognize their own feelings of hunger and choose appropriate nutritious foods to satisfy that hunger. They also can help the child learn to see food as only one of many possible ways to celebrate a happy event, to ease disappointment, or to erase boredom. Here are seven specific actions parents can take to help their children learn good eating habits. Be enthusiastic about eating a variety of foods. Help children learn what foods are in the different food groups and why it's important to eat some of each group daily.