5 Steps for
Influencing Meaningful Health Behaviors In Children
Provided
by American
Council on Exercise
For the first time in
history, there’s data that
suggests current adults may outlive their children. Early onset obesity,
diabetes and other lifestyle-related health pathologies are currently wreaking
havoc on the prognosis for our kids’ long-term health.
There has never been a more
important time for adults to “step up.” Kids need parents, teachers, coaches
and other positive health influencers more than ever. If you’ve ever worked
with kids, however, it becomes clear pretty quickly that their psychological
needs are different than those of adults.
I’ve been mentoring kids
and consulting with youth organizations for more than 20 years. During this
time, I’ve identified five key steps in the process of helping kids improve
their health-related decisions. These components of youth communication and
behavior change have helped kids from five years old all the way through
college.
Step #1: Walk the Talk
A mentor once asked me if
someone were to watch me all day, without hearing me say a word, could they
tell what’s important to me? As a mentor, your actions
speak louder than words. As adults, too often we expect more from kids than we
do from ourselves.
Before helping guide
others’ lifestyles, it’s important to audit your own. What do your kids see you
do? It’s a confusing message when they are told to stay off technology by
parents who have their noses buried in a device. You can’t tell them to “be
more active” from the couch. A speech about healthy eating is not as effective
with a mouth full of fast food.
When your beliefs, actions
and message are aligned, kids can see that. This increases trust, which is a
critical element of effective mentorship.
Step #2: Make Healthy Habits Relevant to Kids
We can all agree that
different things have been important to us during different periods in our
lives. During these times, the things that are important to us shape our
beliefs and behaviors.
When addressing healthy
habits with kids, the outcomes of these habits should impact metrics that are
currently important and relevant to them. “Healthy” vs. “not healthy” means
very little to a seven-year-old. However, if a child’s goal is to “grow,”
certain food choices can help him or her do that. There are other foods one can
choose, but these likely won’t help a child reach his or her goal.
If you aren’t sure what’s
relevant to children, default to “fun.” Odds are, if your activities or
messages make them smile or giggle, they’re engaged. Kids are naturally
imaginative, so indulge their imagination. “Measure” them before and after
eating greens. If they like video games, craft some physical activities after
popular video games.
For older kids, facilitate
a discussion about how attaining their goals would impact their lives. Some
kids may have a difficult time articulating what is important to them. Make
sure you listen carefully and observe their actions and interactions. What they
say and do unprompted will offer important insight into what they currently
value. Adjust your influencing message and actions appropriately.
Step #3: Focus on Short-term Rewards
Adult brains develop over
time to have the capacity to link short-term actions with long-term
consequences or rewards. This capacity is largely governed by the prefrontal
cortex, which doesn’t fully develop until well into our twenties.
While research has
demonstrated that some young children have a greater capacity than others for
linking short-term actions with long-term outcomes, most young brains are
programmed for short-term outcomes. This is why it’s important to help kids
draw a short-term link between positive health choices and positive short-term
outcomes.
Obviously, making
activities fun is a fast and direct way to do this. When the
concepts are a bit deeper, look for opportunities to pair an activity or action
with the immediate outcome. “Bad day at school?
Let’s go for a walk.” “Feeling angry or sad? Let’s take five “balloon” breaths
together.” “Before practice, drink this cup of water to hydrate your body.”
After the positive action, have a discussion about the outcome.
It’s critical to keep
things simple. If you’re a coach or teacher, simple statements such as “Eat
three green things before I see you next,” or “See if your family can do a
combined total of 30 push-ups” are simple to do and easy to remember. Laying
out a complex behavior-change plan is too overwhelming for most young kids.
Step #4: Make Your Environment Reflect Your
Message
Whether you are in the
home, in the classroom or on an athletic field, consider how the environment
you create impacts your mentorship. Does it reinforce the message you are
sharing? If at home or in the classroom, are there opportunities to be active?
What foods are the most readily available? How is technology positioned as a
free-time activity? What are the most prevalent attitudes around healthy
behaviors?
The language you use when
discussing healthy habits is critical. If healthy eating is presented as “Daddy
has to eat yucky food because he has to lose weight,” or exercise becomes
“Mommy has to run so she doesn’t get fat,” healthy habits are positioned as
punishment for “crimes.”
Regardless of the
environment in which you influence kids, create a culture and environment of
wellness.
Step #5: Suspend “Good” vs. “Bad”
In even the healthiest
lifestyle, there is room for imperfection. That’s why the
notion of “good” vs. “bad” foods, behaviors, etc., should largely be avoided.
There are actions and behaviors that are tied to goals, and those that aren’t.
Discuss the impact of behaviors that don’t deliver them to their goals.
However, help them understand that when these things are done occasionally,
it's fine. Obviously, there are some exceptions (smoking, dangerous behavior,
etc.), but help kids understand that a healthy lifestyle is not a “behavior
prison.”
Even if kids don’t always
make the right decision, understanding that they do have a choice can be the
most important thing you can teach them. Furthermore, focusing on what
they should do vs. what they shouldn’t do is far more effective than
providing a laundry list of “don’ts.” When an adult comes across as judgmental,
it creates an “us vs. them” mentality. In this case, healthy habits appear more
as an assignment than a guide.
More than ever, we need
passionate, educated influencers to help change the unfortunate course that has
been set for our kids’ health. The next time you have an opportunity to impact
a young life, consider these five steps to inspire them to take positive
ownership over their healthy lifestyle habits.
AUTHOR
Brett Klika
Brett Klika,
CEO of SPIDERfit Kids (www.spiderfitkids.com) and an IDEA Personal Trainer of the
Year is a personal trainer, author, and international motivational speaker
inspiring men, women, and children around the world to create a culture of
wellness in their home and live the best version of their life. Contact Brett
with questions or comments at brett@spiderfitkids.com.