Nutrition: simple rules for a difficult topic
Nutrition and healthy eating in a family with children is a really complex and demanding topic. And yet you can get quite far with just two basic rules.
Healthy eating with children is tricky because there are of course a few principles that you should know and observe. On the other hand, you have to be careful that the climate in the family is not poisoned by a perfectionist approach and children become so annoyed and stressed about food that they develop really bad eating behaviour in the long term. It is therefore important to look for a balance.
This is not about ten grams more fat or five grams less sugar - there are wonderful sources where you can read about the most important things (see links below).
This is about two points: Firstly, at least until the children are at least of primary school age, parents are responsible for what food is in the household. You can install a very good filter by making sure that fresh food is available and not predominantly ready-made products. You can make sure that extremely high-calorie foods are not constantly consumed and that children are regularly offered healthy things.
And yet we have to be clear: There is often a big gap between what we as parents imagine would be great for the children and what the children actually eat. And that's not a problem as long as the children are well and fit. (There is an extra article on the subject of picky eating here on the site)
What is also important: there should be no "absolutism". A squeeze, for example, can be a saviour in times of need before the mood goes completely down the drain. At the same time, it should be clear that this cannot be the child's everyday diet.
And the second point is that children should learn from an early age that eating is something social and communal. We should eat together at least once a day - in peace and in a fixed setting. So at the table, not running around, not with videos or mobile phones on the side to motivate the children to eat or keep them at the table.
It is really important to teach children early on that eating is something beautiful, natural and communal in everyday life.
With these two rules, a lot is already going in the right direction. If there are still concerns that something is going wrong and the children are getting too fat or are not getting enough nutrients, then we paediatricians are of course there for individual advice.
Links for further information:
https://www.kindergesundheit-info.de/themen/ernaehrung/1-6-jahre/gesunde-kinderernaehrung/
https://www.dgkj.de/eltern/dgkj-elterninformationen/elterninfo-gesundes-essen
https://www.sge-ssn.ch/ich-und-du/essen-und-trinken/von-jung-bis-alt/kindheit/
Further interesting tips
Blood sampling
Today we are focussing on taking blood samples. This is not such an uncritical issue in the paediatric practice because very few children find it cool. So here are a few things to bear in mind.
U-examinations
They are fixed points for all parents: the famous U-examinations, which, at least in the early years, are documented in the equally famous yellow booklet.
Social media
Media education and media literacy is a topic that keeps us busy - and will continue to do so. Digital media is playing an increasingly important role in our children's everyday lives. It is therefore becoming increasingly important that we adults stay up-to-date and keep thinking about what we need to do to support our children.