DISCIPLINE, THE SECRET TO ELIMINATING CHILDHOOD OBSESITY
DISCIPLINE, THE SECRET TO ELIMINATING CHILDHOOD OBSESITY
“Wahhh, I don’t want to eat that stuff!”. “ Alright then, go in your room and play until Mommy gets through cleaning up the kitchen.”
Should “Little Johnny” be made to finish whatever Mommy has put in front of him to eat? (I know, in this day in time, all the liberals will say; “Let Little Johnny do what he wants to.”) Well that is what is wrong with our Society today. Most children have been left to do what they want to. If they don’t want to eat, they don’t. NO DISCIPLINE!
Now think about it. A child is left to do what he wants to; or, parents don’t know how to discipline their children. People do not realize how very important it is to discipline a child starting when the child is very young. So, what does DISCIPLINE have to do with CHILDHOOD OBESITY? Think about it, a child grows up in an undisciplined environment. He/she does what it wants to. Do you think it will eat those awful looking squash, greens, spinach, and etc.? I don’t think so. They will eat what they want to. The older they get, having no discipline to control their “Wants”, they eat most all the bad stuff because the bad stuff is what taste the best. I know because I love pizza and everybody tells me that Pizza is not good for me.(I eat it anyway-lack of Discipline.)
It is acknowledged that there are many children that have disorders that they have no control over. We ARE NOT talking about those children. God Bless Them.
Now you can begin to get the picture why it is so important to start disciplining your children at a young age. When they are young, children do not respond as much to physical punishment as they do to psychological punishment. Notice, most times when a baby is scolded, they pucker up and start crying. Yes, there are times when, as a child gets older, physical punishment may be necessary. However, physical punishment must be very selective and sparingly applied. A slap on the wrist, a slight whip on the rear, even older children get their feelings hurt(punishment) at that. Do not let physical punishment cross over the line of physical abuse, too much or too heavy of a beating is NOT necessary. What you are doing is letting the child know that you disapprove of it’s conduct. That is the objective of punishment, not; “Going to beat it out of you!”. That is not appropriate nor necessary to accomplish what you trying to accomplish. Don’t get carried away with your punishment. And remember, a child that is taught discipline is one that will show Respect also. Do you know that, from a child’s perspective, a parent showing discipline, shows love. That child senses that the parent cares for them and wants them to do the right thing. The parent is showing attention also. That’s important.
A child that is obedient and respectful will be more likely to respond to a request to eat what is put in front of them. Just hope that the preparing parent knows how to prepare a meal that consist of the daily requirement of fruits and vegetables. If the child is told to eat whats prepared for them, they will usually do so. Also, as the child grows older, now in school, is told not to eat junk at school, they probably will not do so. If told not to eat too much, probably won’t do so. If the child begins to show a sign of becoming overweight and the parents have to take action, the disciplined child will more likely to cooperate with a diet program and/or exercise activities.
If you start now with your child, regardless of age, instilling Discipline, the chances are you will not have a problem with CHILDHOOD OBESEITY.
A very good book to read on this Subject is; James Dobson’s, “Dare to Discipline”.
LIVE LONGER and LIVE HEALTHIER
TO LIVE LONGER AND HEALTHIER, TRY;
LESS STRESS
It has been said; “It is folly to worry about something that you have no control over.” Turn “Worry” into “Concern”. Try to be part of the solution; i.e., your child is unemployed; instead of sitting around worrying, try to think of type of jobs that they might be good at, like. and/or easy to get. Look around for available jobs. In other words, keep your mind busy. Make yourself think positive. Remember, I related in an earlier Post that you can only have one thought at a time in your mind; put a “Positive” thought in it. Example; well he/she didn’t find a job today so that is one day closer to finding that job.
Also some things that can help you have Less Stress: Drink milk, take a nap(Get plenty of rest.), take a walk, get a Cat. A Cat in your lap can be very comforting. Read, listen to soft music, in other words, don’t just sit there and Worry, Do Something!
INTERACT
If you have not already, establish relationships with friends and family members. Remember;
“To have a friend, you must BE a friend.” How do you “Be a friend”? Target someone you would like to have as a friend and do something for them. Take them some cookies, a pie, a newspaper, a magazine, bowl of grapes or whatever. Don’t attempt to engage in a long conversation at first, just say something casual and tell them that you were thinking of them is why you brought over the ____. Let them engage in conversation if they choose. Be sure to listen to hear what seems to interest them so that next time you see them you can mention that subject. If you know a family member likes something in particular, take that to them and just sit down and pay a short visit with them. Talk about their children. Of course, if you have a spouse, that is the best person to “Engage” with. Yes, we ALL need to give our spouses more attention. You will be amazed at the response and results if you do this regular. I occasionally get; “You never spend any time with me.” Men, that is a signal!
WORK! WORK! WORK!
It’s been proven that people who keep working, even after retirement, or volunteer work, live longer. Being a part of a community and/or work-force into your golden years will keep your life filled and fulfilling up until the end. As you get older, keeping your mind busy you ward of diseases like dementia, stress, cancer, and other mind dehabilitating diseases. Have you ever heard; “If you don’t use it you will loose it!” Believe me, that is a “Truism”
What We Can Do With Our Brains
Just Reminiscing
“Reminiscing” is a “Brain” related action, that is having to do with the Mind. I was just sitting here at my computer gazing out the window thinking about my Air Force days and Jet Airplanes. I had just, moments ago, open an email from one of my Aviation Cadet Classmates that included a link to the “Aviation Cadets Museum” that had some pictures of Jets that flew during the Vietnam War. I guess I was “Day Dreaming“. Then I thought, I have to get my mind back on my business of Posting. It occurred to me that, I controled my mind. It is important for people to realize that they CAN control their mind, which controls your Actions. This fact could contribute to a significant event in your life.
Take my Grandson, William, for instance. At age 16 he was on his way down to visit us in Florida from North Carolina with His Mother and Sister. They were hit by a semi-tractor trailer. He was non responsive laying on the side of the road.(Yes, they were all wearing seat belts.) He was air lifted to Jacksonville Shane’s Hospital. He was unconscious for over 3 weeks. The Doctor told His Mom that He probably will not walk again and would suffer serious results from the brain injury He sustained. To get to the Point, today at 21, He runs 3 to 5 miles a day, makes As in College and to look at Him you would never think anything is wrong with Him, except when He starts to walk. I tell you this story to illustrate how one can control what happens when they put their “MIND’ to it. William had a lot of factors contributing to His recovery including Prayer, Family Support, and of course the medical procedures. But, William’s determination(A Mental Activity) to run again, to go to college, and to be a normal young man again played a major roll in His recovery.
Why so many FAT CHILDREN?
Why so many FAT children?
Why so many FAT CHILDREN? I have been in this ole World for seventy three years and I have seen a lot of social enviromental changes that have directly
influenced the lives of children. Just think about this for a moment. When my generation was young;
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And we weren’t overweight. WHY? Because we were always outside playing…that’s why! And, we were OKAY. We did not have Play Stations, Nintendo’s and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
No video movies or DVDs, No surround-sound or CDs, No cell phones,
No personal computers, No Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS
GET THE PICTURE? We had very few FAT CHILDREN back then.
Kids, Parents, Schools, Government, who’s at fault? I say, our way of life. Like, “Time for school, hurry up and get dressed and “EAT YOUR POP TART.” I have a meeting this morning and I don’t have time to fix breakfast.” Not to mention the “Single Parent”. Many single parents have done a great job considering the circumstances. I am married to one. She raised three wonderful children all by herself and did a great job. However, missing that one parent has it’s impact. Each parent has a major role to contribute to the “Family” and when that particular role is vacant, there are consequences. When children are NOT THE CENTER OF ATTENTION, at any age, there are problems. There are parental circumstances that dictate distractions which can’t be helped. Point of all this: Parent, be aware of this phenomenon and try your best to compensate.
Why is this such an important issue? The affect on an overweight child is two fold; 1.) Mental and, 2.) Physical.
I believe the Physical speaks for itself. Any thing growing needs Nutrition. Proper Nutrition is essential for a young child. Fruits and Vegetables CAN NOT BE REPLACED.
Let’s take a closer look at the Mental aspect of this out of control trend besieging our children. FAT CHILDREN do not have as much Confidence in themselves as do children that have a normal body. This is the ROOT of many problems that ruin the lives of these overweight children. Don’t kid yourself, they see what they look like when they look in a mirror; and, they don’t like what they see. That registers in their mind. This affects their attitude. Attitude determines Altitude. Get it? All kinds of negative thoughts about themself goes through their mind. In many cases, they become “Social Outcast”. That is awful for a kid.
When they realize they are different, things begin to happen in their mind:
1.) They may start feeling(some don’t) that they are ugly and start to withdraw.
2.) Many will not have nice clothes to wear or clothes that fit improperly. Certainly not fashionable.
3.) They may have thoughts that they are part of a dysfunctional family.
4.) Being to be the target of ridicule from their piers.
5.) Some may think of being in a lower social class of people.
6.) Peer pressure to “Keep Up” may be harsh.
7.) Have a feeling that family and friends have given up on them.
And, hopefully they don’t get the, “What do I care” attitude. This is when things really start going down hill.
What can be done?
