Friday after school or Saturday after sport and so on. After your child has chosen a day add ‘Chocolate day is now Friday after school’. Make sure they understand that they are not having chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner on this day. And ensure they agree to the new rule before they get the treat.
Then the next time your child is ready to launch themselves on the supermarket floor in a chocolate-deprived rage, say ‘Chocolate day is Friday after school’, and add ‘You can choose your favourite chocolate right now and then we’ll keep it for Friday’. If they protest, say your ‘slogan’ again: ‘Chocolate day is Friday (or we could make it oncea year at Easter?)’. Pretty soon your child will stop asking for chocolate and start asking, ‘When’s Friday Dad?’
You can also benefit by telling your family when they can expect dessert so they don’t harass you to make it every night. This is particularly useful for the child who has a tendency to save room for dessert. And it removes any confusion and lessens the occurrence of tantrums. For example ‘Dessert nights are Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays,’ or ‘Dessert day is Sunday after dinner.’
Other rules about sometimes foods
• Chocolate is for Easter and parties.
• Lollies are for Halloween, Christmas and birthdays.
• Fried food Fridays.
• Chocolate sandwich day is Tuesday.
Remember me!
• Have set ‘sometimes food’ days. Use your own ‘slogans’ to reinforce when these days are set to occur, such as ‘Fried food Fridays’, and repeat them often.
• Once you set a new sometimes food rule follow it religiously. You need to be consistent for your slogans to work for you.
Must-do number 7
Slap a slogan on it. Slogans work when they are repeated over and over and over again. Test this one: firstly educate your child by saying ‘Green vegies are superfoods that can help you run faster and have more fun,’ or ‘We need to eat greens every day to be strong.’ (Reword this to suit your child’s age and hobbies.) Then every time your child says they’re hungry or asks for food say, ‘Have you had your green vegies today?’ For example, ‘Mum, I’m hungry.’ You reply with your slogan: ‘Have you had your green vegies today?’ Then add, ‘You can have some now or with dinner.’ When your partner comes home from work ask, ‘Have you had your green vegies today?’ And quietlyarrange with him to reply, ‘No but I’d like some with dinner.’ Pretty soon your child will be replying, ‘No, but I’ll have some with dinner.’
This one is my favourite: if your child does not like fruit, every day, say in a lighthearted way as you open the refrigerator door, ‘Where’s the power fruit?’ You will probably open the fridge many times so each time say this slogan: ‘Where’s the power fruit?’ Eventually, when your child opens the refrigerator door what will be the first thing they think of? Where’s the power fruit? They will not be able to help themselves. It’s the same as every time I kick a ball with my son: I think of the TV commercial that says ‘Kick it to me, kick it to me...’ Simple slogans and catchy phrases are powerful. Use them often.
Must-do number 8
Speak their language. You would not speak to your child in Japanese if they could only understand English. However, this is what it can feel like for a child when they hear the words ‘You’ve got to eat vegetables because they’re healthy.’ What does ‘healthy’ mean to a child? Nothing, unless they are very, very ill and wish to become well again.
When you want to persuade your child to eat healthy foods, use wording that is appropriate for your child’s age and comprehension. Toddlers and young children like fun, simple words such as ‘Let’s have some power fruit so you can have fun for a really long time.’ If your child is a teenager, speak to them as if they’re an adult. Adolescents are more likely to respond well if you
Then the next time your child is ready to launch themselves on the supermarket floor in a chocolate-deprived rage, say ‘Chocolate day is Friday after school’, and add ‘You can choose your favourite chocolate right now and then we’ll keep it for Friday’. If they protest, say your ‘slogan’ again: ‘Chocolate day is Friday (or we could make it oncea year at Easter?)’. Pretty soon your child will stop asking for chocolate and start asking, ‘When’s Friday Dad?’
You can also benefit by telling your family when they can expect dessert so they don’t harass you to make it every night. This is particularly useful for the child who has a tendency to save room for dessert. And it removes any confusion and lessens the occurrence of tantrums. For example ‘Dessert nights are Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays,’ or ‘Dessert day is Sunday after dinner.’
Other rules about sometimes foods
• Chocolate is for Easter and parties.
• Lollies are for Halloween, Christmas and birthdays.
• Fried food Fridays.
• Chocolate sandwich day is Tuesday.
Remember me!
• Have set ‘sometimes food’ days. Use your own ‘slogans’ to reinforce when these days are set to occur, such as ‘Fried food Fridays’, and repeat them often.
• Once you set a new sometimes food rule follow it religiously. You need to be consistent for your slogans to work for you.
Must-do number 7
Slap a slogan on it. Slogans work when they are repeated over and over and over again. Test this one: firstly educate your child by saying ‘Green vegies are superfoods that can help you run faster and have more fun,’ or ‘We need to eat greens every day to be strong.’ (Reword this to suit your child’s age and hobbies.) Then every time your child says they’re hungry or asks for food say, ‘Have you had your green vegies today?’ For example, ‘Mum, I’m hungry.’ You reply with your slogan: ‘Have you had your green vegies today?’ Then add, ‘You can have some now or with dinner.’ When your partner comes home from work ask, ‘Have you had your green vegies today?’ And quietlyarrange with him to reply, ‘No but I’d like some with dinner.’ Pretty soon your child will be replying, ‘No, but I’ll have some with dinner.’
This one is my favourite: if your child does not like fruit, every day, say in a lighthearted way as you open the refrigerator door, ‘Where’s the power fruit?’ You will probably open the fridge many times so each time say this slogan: ‘Where’s the power fruit?’ Eventually, when your child opens the refrigerator door what will be the first thing they think of? Where’s the power fruit? They will not be able to help themselves. It’s the same as every time I kick a ball with my son: I think of the TV commercial that says ‘Kick it to me, kick it to me...’ Simple slogans and catchy phrases are powerful. Use them often.
Must-do number 8
Speak their language. You would not speak to your child in Japanese if they could only understand English. However, this is what it can feel like for a child when they hear the words ‘You’ve got to eat vegetables because they’re healthy.’ What does ‘healthy’ mean to a child? Nothing, unless they are very, very ill and wish to become well again.
When you want to persuade your child to eat healthy foods, use wording that is appropriate for your child’s age and comprehension. Toddlers and young children like fun, simple words such as ‘Let’s have some power fruit so you can have fun for a really long time.’ If your child is a teenager, speak to them as if they’re an adult. Adolescents are more likely to respond well if you
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