Obesity can be a huge obstacle in a child’s development, both physically and emotionally. Children suffering from obesity can experience isolation, bullying, or poor self-image in their relationship with their peers. This can also be a fundamental detriment to a child’s ability to maintain a strong and healthy relationship with their family. Because of the emotional, physical, and familial on the line, making your child’s weight loss a family project is not only a good idea, it is nearly critical to your success. This guide will help you get both your child and your family in shape.
Kids can be very competitive. Whether they are competing with a sibling for rights to the front seat or battling it out with a friend in a video game, children, like adults want to feel the thrill of victory. One way to help them feel enthusiasm and zeal, instead of rebellion at the prospect of losing weight is to create a family competition. This way it will be about family goals and the child doesn’t feel isolated by their obesity. Since other members of your family may not need to lose weight, find goals and projects that they can work on in order to make this a true competition.
The Keys to Success
- Get everyone involved in the competition.
For example, if one child needs to improve their grades in math, make it a daily objective for that child to focus on practicing and studying different math exercises and practice tests, in addition to regular homework. A goal such as this, long term and focused, will be a perfect correlation for a child struggling to lose weight. For, as one child is exercising, the same time frame can be utilized for the other child to study.
This helps take away some of the pressure and focus, real or imagined, the teen might feel weighing upon them. Many people, not just children, feel as if others are often focused negatively on their bodies when they are overweight. This belief can be a psychological obstacle you can easily eliminate for them. Plus, the need to study is an actual and necessary need. Not just busy work. And the educational benefits create an equal importance in terms of emotional reward for the sibling.
- Make the reward a bonus, so that the child doesn’t feel punished if he or she fails to meet the goal in the appointed time frame. If your child is unable to reach his goal completely, it is important that he or she doesn’t feel devastated. After all, any weight loss is a huge step in the right direction. Allowing the child to feel like a failure because they somehow fell short of the ultimate goal is like taking a giant step backward over a cliff and freefalling. In fact, your child may ultimately feel as if he or she never wants to try to lose weight again. Or worst, go on an unhealthy binge.
