Your Children Are What You Eat

Children are amazing little recording devices. My little girl is almost three and it constantly surprises me how much she retains. The problem is that she retains nearly everything – even the things we don’t want her to. The bigger problem is that she is at the age that you cannot necessarily rationalize and explain things. She wants to do everything that we do. Most of the time that is good, but sometimes that is not so good.

It is not enough to say, “Because I said so!” How many times did you hear that as a child? Did it ever work? Only if you were threatened with capital punishment. Since capital punishment is not longer accepted in today’s society we need to find a smarter and better way.

It seems to me that the most effective way to get your children to do what you want, is to do it yourself. We have to lead by example. Preach, yell, or lecture is not nearly as effective as being the example. And sometimes this is very difficult.

If you want your children to be healthy, lean, and fit with the healthiest eating habits – then you have live that way to show them. That is a pretty good deal. You lose weight, you get healthy, you get fit, your exercise regularly, and your children grow up living, learning and breathing that environment. Wow, A reward that pays back dividends for a lifetime – yours and your children.


If:
You eat healthy – they eat healthy
You are active – they are active
You are fit – they will be fit
You exercise regularly – they will exercise too

My children are way to young to go running with me, but I can take them with me in a jogging stroller as I train for My next Ironman triathlon. I have run as far as seven miles pushing my daughter up and down the hills of Connecticut, and four miles pushing both kids in a double stroller. Is it tough? You better believe it. But they love it. I get a tougher workout and they get to see the world. More importantly, they will only know a life of activity, health and exercise.

If you are new to exercise, then take them with you for a walk around the block or the high school track. Let them play in the room that you keep the treadmill while you exercise (you know, that thing that most use for a clothes hanger). Do this and even the youngest child will absorb the memory of you taking care of your health as a typical part of life and they will follow your lead.

Be the change you want to see in the world – Mahatma Gandhi