Helping parents navigate conversations about kids and pandemic weight gain
It may seem counterintuitive, but registered dieticians at Mary Bridge Children’s encourage parents and caregivers to take a step back and look at the big picture of health—physically and emotionally—and give yourself and your kids grace.
“Many of us have gained weight and changed some lifestyle habits,” said Colleen McMeen, RD, CD, with MultiCare’s Center for Health Equity and Wellness and Mary Bridge Children’s Pediatric Weight and Wellness. “Some of those habits were for the better and some were less so.”
Colleen noted that all children are supposed to be gaining weight to support their steep growth and developmental curves.
“Adding stigma and shame to the stress of the last year is not going to help anyone’s health,” Colleen said. She added that it’s OK to have gained a few extra pounds. Instead of creating shame, now is an opportunity for families to think about how they can restart and reset with healthy habits.
Safety and financial resources have always played a role in how families access social and physical activities like sports, as well as regular meals, and the pandemic has only amplified these issues. “Providing meals and healthy snacks 3-6 times every day is already a large task and on top of that, we’ve added stress from pandemic parenting, including working from home, becoming teachers and tutors, and trying to find new ways to help our kids get their wiggles out,” Colleen said.
The good news is that families are eating more meals together during the pandemic, according to the team of registered dieticians at Mary Bridge Children’s. Sharing meals together is a small yet impactful way to give children confidence and competence to eat and move joyfully.
“We need to remember that it’s a parent’s job to provide — not restrict — food, and to offer meals and snacks at times that are appropriate for the age and developmental stages of their children,” Colleen said. “Children get to be the boss of deciding how much they eat.”
Why is this approach important?
Colleen said when kids hear that something is wrong with their body, they’re often developmentally too young to distinguish between something being wrong with their weight and thinking something is wrong with them, as a person.
“Instead of focusing on weight gained, let’s focus on where and how we feel our best physically and mentally, and how we’re going to get there,” Colleen said.
What can parents do to encourage healthy habits in their children that don’t focus on weight?
- Plan and eat healthy meals together.
- Drink water and healthy snacks between meals, especially as summer approaches and the weather warms up.
- Create a positive eating environment.
- Find fun ways to move and exercise together.
“Family time and parenting is a long game,” Colleen said. “Let’s use this time to really lean into full life and establish healthy habits again.”
To learn more about nutrition services at Mary Bridge Children’s, please visit our pediatric nutrition services page. If you’re in need of access to food and nutrition assistance, please visit Mary Bridge Children’s Women, Children and Infants (WIC) or call 253-403-1349.