Managing children's diets

[starday]

I am a firm believer that parents should take responsibility for a child's weight.

My 11 yr old has always had a round face and seems to put weight on very easily. We try really hard to mange his lunch and dinner, not make it an issue but try and be healthy. Our children usually have pudding every night, this might just be a biscuit, or an ice cream.

Tonight I got home from work late and went to have some terry orange chocolate I had opened on Sunday, there was over half left and it had gone. After asking a few times my son confessed he had eaten it. I was really disappointed as I also caught him on Sunday sneaking out to the garden with about a third of a packet of digestives.

I know he's self conscious about his looks, and He wants to look nice etc, I really want to help him make the right choices.

I am also on SlimmingWorld so whilst I go eat 'treats' I do try and set a good example.

How do I help him, what conversation do I have with him so say don't eat crap or your will be over weight. I feel he is so on the edge of being overweight it's hard. It's not helped by his younger brother being really skinny.

[bargainbin]

A biscuit after dinner every day won't make a child fat. Does he eat fruit and veg? If so I'd apply your SW rules to family meals do 1/3 veg, a protein and I can't remember what the other 1/3 should be. Must be a carb is it? And what are his activity levels like? Being fat will be much harder for him than having his mum say we're eating xyz and doing xyz activity so we can be healthy and strong and not have to worry about our looks

[FATEdestiny]

You could try not routinely having treat food in the house.

The idea of a treat is that it should be just that- something special and you have only very occasionally. Something to be savoured and really enjoyed. A "treat" isn't something you have every day, or lots of. That shows a misunderstanding of the word treat.

So, for example, buy a chocolate bar or a cake or some yummy biscuits at the weekend and share it together as a special treat. Then don't by any other sugary unnecessary crap food at other times.

[Oly5]

This is so tough but please don’t make an issue of it. Teenagers love to scoff packets of biscuits.. the solution is not to buy them.
My parents made an issue of my weight age 12 - cue the development of a disorder.
Tread carefully

[FATEdestiny]

Teenagers love to scoff packets of biscuits.. the solution is not to buy them.

This

I have an uber-toned DS12 and equally sporty DD13. Both with no weight issues and generally eat very healthily with a great attitude towards nutrition.

However the moment, literally the very moment, my back is turned they will be scoffing packets of biscuits, melting a chocolate bars as a drink, I once found DD sneekily spreading one after another digestive biscuits with Nutella, "just because".

The way I deal with is it is to only buy as a rare treat rather than these things being a cupboard staple week-in-week-out.

[starday]

I think you are all so right - I was brought up in a house where money was tight and sweet things were not usual, I guess I have over compensated and buy too much. But in fairness the children still have Easter eggs left - so we are not 'letting' them eat, it's the hiding food to eat that worries me.

I also think I'm worried that when he starts secondary school he's going to make the wrong food choice and buy things we don't let Him have at home like lucozade etc