Help your Preteen Maintain a Healthy Weight with these Helpful Tips

Whether weight is a concern to your child or not, the transition to a teenager can be a volatile time for anyone. Working together with your child is a nice way to encourage a positive body image, a healthy weight and an optimistic view on eating in general.

Here’s how to help your preteen maintain a healthy weight…

Exercise: Schedule some time every day to do some exercise together. Even if you only have time for an evening walk around the neighbourhood or a quick swim in the pool, it’s important to get moving at some point during the day. Having someone to exercise with is motivating as well as enjoyable, so sign up at the gym, do some work outs in front of the TV or even encourage your child to join a sports team at school.

Plan Meals / Snacks: Planning meals together with your child is great for so many different reasons. It gives your child a say in what is being served, it teaches them about healthy eating choices and it helps your family stick to healthy eating instead of turning to fast food. When it comes to healthy snacks, take a look at our after school snack ideas for your teen.

Cooking: Pass on your cooking skills and knowledge to your child, while spending quality time together. Explain to them about healthy foods, nutrients, etc. The more time your child spends in the kitchen, the more likely they are to eat all the food served to them – including vegetables!

Be Supportive: Always make time for your child. Time to listen, time to encourage and time to support. Some days can be difficult for a preteen, especially during this time in their lives. Make sure your child knows they have someone to talk to, to decrease any emotional eating.

Involve a Doctor: Should your preteen have a serious body image, weight problem or eating issues and you feel you cannot handle it alone, contact your family doctor. A doctor may seem like an unnecessary step, but they can help and possibly point you to others who can provide further assistance.

The preteen years bring a lot of chaos; however these years are also part of your child’s growth and transformation. Work together and help your preteen maintain a healthy weight.

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