AUGUST 3:

Decide:     You can teach your child the difference between needs and wants.

Practice:     Today, when talking about food with your child, use the words “needs” and “wants” often.

• When your child is asking for a snack or a meal try saying something like this.  “Check in with your tummy, how hungry are you – a little or a lot?”  Based on her answer, serve her a small or larger amount for a meal or a snack and tell her it sounds like this is what she needs.
• When your child asks for more food try saying something like this.  “Check in with your tummy, do you need more because you are still hungry or do you want more because you really liked how it tasted?”  Give her another helping saying, “Sounds like you need another helping” or give her another bite saying, “Sounds like you want another taste.”
• When your child asks for candy try saying something like this.  ”What healthy food have you eaten today? You may want candy because you like the taste, but your body needs lots of healthy foods. You need to eat some meat or cheese before you can have that piece of candy you want.”

See tomorrow’s Daily Parenting Tip (8-4-13) for more on learning the difference between needs and wants.

Let us know which tips you like the best or any others you think of that you want to pass along to others.

Today’s Decide and Practice daily parenting tip was inspired by our featured picture book, KATIE AND THE PUPPY NEXT DOOR.  Read the book to a child in your life each day as a reminder of what you are deciding and practicing that day.

Come back each day for another good parenting decision and how to practice it. (Each day’s activity will also be posted on Daily Parenting Tips page for easy access.)

Read the whole story at Kids and Sharing.