Inside Family Counseling, LLC
  • Welcome
  • Services & Rates
    • Child & Adolescent Therapy
    • Couples & Family Therapy
    • Individual Counseling
    • Psychoanalytic Therapy
    • Group Therapy
    • Consultation
  • Specialties
    • Anxiety
    • Acting Out
    • Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Depression
    • Eating Disorders
    • Self Injurious Behavior
    • Parenting
    • Psychosis
    • Relationships
    • Trauma
    • Trichotillomania
  • About me
  • Mental Health Digest
  • Parenting Blog
  • Contact me

How to create healthy eating habits for your kids and family

1/18/2015

Comments

 
healthy eating habits
Healthy eating habits are about so much more than simply a fit figure or a healthy body. Food is often a metaphor for mother's love, attention and care - a representation of our first and most fundamental human relationship. It relates to self-esteem, body image and feelings of worth and contentment. 

It is not uncommon in psychotherapy to meet people, for whom "the food" was never "good enough;" who are always "hungry" for love, validation, care and appreciation, the (perceived) lack of which then becomes a concrete longing for food, alcohol, sex or a substance of some sort. The result - a distorted self image, feeling of insecurity and worthlessness, unhealthy eating (drinking) habits (too much or too little food), attempting to fill a void impossible to fill or deny a need never expressed. People may struggle with addiction, fluctuation in weight, feelings of self-deprecation and lack of confidence or positive self-esteem. 
There are many factors that contribute to these difficulties, of course, but I am simply illustrating the importance of that foundation between mother and children, represented by food. Here are a few simple things you can do to help your kids develop proper eating habits and healthy relationships:

1. Make meal time family time and try to stick to the same hours of the day for each meal.
2. Involve your children in the meal preparation and have fun teaching them about cooking.
3. Model healthy eating habits and food choices - your little ones watch you and copy everything you do. Take advantage of this and lead by example. 
4. Give your kids a sense of control by allowing them to chose their food but limit the options to two or three healthy ones. 
5. Spend time with your kids playing, reading or talking after dinner. Be interested in them and their passions, talents and personality. Answer their questions and most importantly, have fun together! 

If you want to read more articles like this, subscribe for Mental Health Digest below, your monthly FREE electronic resources on common mental health issues affecting you and your family, plus some suggestions on how to address them. Get the latest issue below:


    Mental Health Digest

Submit
Comments
    Picture

    Hi, I'm Misha!

    I am a licensed clinical professional counselor and founder of Inside Family Counseling, LLC. 
    I specializes in counseling troubled children and adolescents, who face behavioral and emotional challenges at home and at school. My mission is to empower, support and guide children, adolescents and their parents to a happy and healthy family.  

    Archives

    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    Academics
    Acting Out
    ADHD
    Adolescence
    Anxiety
    Autism
    Behavior
    Bullying
    Child And Adolescent Counseling
    Childhood Development
    Children Fears
    Children With Special Needs
    Death
    Depression
    Diagnostic Process
    Discipline
    Emotional Development Of Children
    Family Life
    Fatherhood
    Fears
    Finding A Therapist
    Halloween
    Hitting
    Infancy
    Isolating
    Learning
    Learning Strategies
    Loss
    Moving With Kids
    Online Bullying
    Parenting
    Physical Abuse
    Profession Mother
    Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
    Psychological Development
    School
    Self Esteem
    Self-esteem
    Self Injury
    Separation
    Special Education
    Substance Abuse
    Therapeutic Process
    Trauma
    Yelling

    RSS Feed

Location

Inside Family Counseling, LLC

Professional Counseling For You and Your Family
​
​Mihaela Bernard, MA, LCPC
111 E. First Street, Suite 101
Elmhurst, IL 60126
773-470-3106
info@mishabernard.com 
​

follow me

send me an email

Call for a free 15-minute consultation
Call now

Copyright © 2016 Inside Family Counseling, LLC. All rights reserved.