My nearly 13 year old DS keeps saying he is fat & is getting very upset about it and I am finding it hard to know the best way to approach it as I am worried about saying the wrong thing.
This is how I have approached it so far and what I have said:
- you aren’t fat but your body is changing in puberty & is getting ready for a growth spurt. You are lovely as you are- let’s focus on healthy eating etc
- I understand how you feel- I feel like that myself sometimes- let’s do some exercise & eat well together
- could you research what a healthy diet looks like and we can talk about it
He keeps talking about not eating - he loves food so I don’t think he’s serious but I am worried that he’s thinking too much about controlling food & fixating on his weight very negatively. He has put a bit of weight on over lockdown & I have stopped buying sugary crap in the house - we are on holiday at the moment so he’s having ice creams etc.
I am SO worried about saying the wrong thing and approaching this badly - aibu?
Am I doing the right thing? I am finding it really stressful and want him to feel positive about himself. I was an overweight early teen & it affected me but I came through it with healthy eating & exercise. It’s not helped that all his normal sports have stopped during the pandemic