Talking to your kids about body (weight, strength, health)

[SimoneJadeM]

Random question for other mums — how do you talk to your kids about body positivity?

I work out 5–6 days a week and am trying to lose weight, mostly to set a better example of being healthy and strong. I know that’s a lot for some people, but it’s what works for me and my body.

We’re also trying to eat more whole foods at home and cut back on processed stuff — not in an extreme way, but to encourage more mindful eating habits. I’m not super strict, because I know being too rigid can cause its own problems.

I try to be really mindful of what I say about weight in front of my 6-year-old. I usually focus on strength, energy, and health rather than numbers on a scale or appearance.

But I’d love to hear how others approach this.
How do you talk about health, food, and body image with your kids — especially if they’re already sensitive or picky eaters?

I like to be honest, but I also don’t want my daughter to think I’m exercising or eating differently just to look a certain way. She already struggles with eating some days, and I really don’t want to add to that.

Would love any advice or experiences.

I think you be honest, its about having a healthy body. Being overweight isn't healthy for anyone.

So far (mine is 5) I try not to talk about weight with any positive or negative connotations. I just talk about health and strength. I try not to say that foods are "healthy" or "unhealthy" but say that things like chocolate and crisps give us lots of short term energy, but don't have many vitamins, or fuel our bodies for a long time, so we shouldn't eat them too often. She also knows that too much salt is not healthy for children.

She knows that both her dad and I sometimes make bad decisions like eating lots of chocolate which then makes us feel sick! (Her dad is actually the worst for this and he's not overweight at all).