Television and Junk Advertising

Should you let your children watch television channels that have "junk" advertising?

Many parents say, "no," but I say, "yes."

Yes, I know that children can't tell the difference between advertising and program content. And yes I know that children believe everything they see on television. And yes I know that food manufacturers are after our children. 

• A recent content analysis of the top 40 food and beverage brand websites found that 63% of the websites contain gaming in which a product is featured. 
• More than half used cartoon characters or had websites specifically designed for children.

The answer isn't to avoid these channels (unless you don't like the programming content). The answer is to educate your children. Even the young ones.

Tell your children that food manufacturers often lie to children. 

Then, tell your kids that if they hear anything about a particular food they should come check with you to see if it is true.

Say these things often. It filters what your children absorb and shapes what they believe. 

Be proactive: Children believe their parents.

Does this mean I'm letting food manufacturers off the hook?

Not at all. They're after our kids and that is unacceptable.  

Every day on average in the United States, children and teenagers see 12 to 14 food ads on television. And they're not advertising broccoli. (Although there is that one ad for Cuties mandarins, which I love.) 

Read this great New York Times piece How Advertising Targets Our Children. (Thanks Casey for sending me the link.)

Ads most likely to be marketed towards kids are fast foods, sugared cereals, sugary drinks and candy.

To me this makes the problem easier for parents to confront. After all, there's no ambiguity here: these foods are trash and everyone knows it. It's time your kids do too. Read A Spoonful of Sugar?

It's harder to teach children that chicken nuggets are trash, but they are. Read Are Chicken Nuggets Really Chicken? and The 10 Most "Dangerous" Foods.

Having said this, I recognize that emphasizing the need for kids to be educated consumers plays into the hands of food manufacturer.

"We don't have to stop advertising; you have to know what you're buying." So let's work on a shared approach. Work to stop this kind of advertising.

But I hate the way this is discussed, as if parents are (and should be) passive. Educating kids is a caring and reasonable response to a terrible problem.

~Changing the conversation from nutrition to habits.~

Source: Henry, H. K. M. and D. L. G. Borzekowski. 2011. “The Nag Factor: a Mixed-Methodology Study in the Us of Young Children's Requests for Advertised Products.” Journal of Children and Media 5(3): 298-317.

The Nag Factor

Research shows that children influence purchases like cars, vacations and electronics. And, of course, children influence food purchases.

• Children influence food purchases proactively: One study shows kids put approximately 6 items in the cart.
• Children influence food purchases by nagging: One study shows that some kids ask more than 50 times for particular products.

50 times? That's one helluva parental headache!

Nagging comes in many guises, but it's always a pain in the butt.

Kids nag by:

• Repeatedly asking for items, whining, stomping feet, making fists, grunting.
• Putting items in the shopping cart even when told, "no."
• Having an all-out tantrum.
• Being manipulative, i.e. by professing love or hate for the mother, and by saying other children have the item.

You don't have to take it. You can teach your way out of this problem. (After all, the chances are that you, inadvertently, taught your way into this problem.)

There are two ways to eliminate nagging:

• Say "no" and mean it.
• Say "yes." (After all, if you're going to say "yes" eventually you might as well say "yes" from the get-go and save yourself the fight.)

Don't say no unless you mean it.

"No. No. No. Yes" actually encourages your kids to nag. They know that wearing you down is a strategy that works. They  just don't know when it will work.

 

I can hear the protests now: "But my child continues to ask... even after I've said, 'no!'" 

That's also a strategy that kids learn. After you have said "no" once or twice—the second "no" is kind of like a short grace period— refuse to engage in the conversation (and I use the term conversation lightly).

• "You've already asked and I've already answered. Asking again won't change anything."
• "Even if I wanted to change my mind, now I can't. I don't want you to learn that nagging works." (I LOVE this reply because it teaches the lesson explicitly.)

Then, ignore, distract, or use a time out. BUT, and this is REALLY IMPORTANT, don't ignore the intial request.

• If you ignore the intial request you will promote nagging.
• And don't ignore your child without warning: "I've answered you and now I'm going to ignore your requests."

Clarify the shopping rules before you get into the store.

Here are some ideas:

• You may select one item to purchase that is not on my list.
• You may (or may not) eat that item (or a piece of that item) while we are shopping.
• If you nag me for a second item you will not get the first item.

And, afterwards, of course, "Thank you for behaving so well at the grocery store today."

~Changing the conversation from nutrition to habits.~

Source: Henry, H. K. M. and D. L. G. Borzekowski. 2011. “The Nag Factor: a Mixed-Methodology Study in the Us of Young Children's Requests for Advertised Products.” Journal of Children and Media 5(3): 298-317.

When Kids Overeat

Parenting an overeater is definitely challenging.

You've probably heard that children (like adults!) shouldn't diet and that restricting food makes kids hoard. So how can you help while keeping their self esteem intact?

Register for my class at the Natural Gourmet Institute! 

Sunday February 24th, 2-5pm

In this class I will show you how to stop being the "food police" and start helping your kids enjoy health-supportive meals without guilt or dieting. This naturally leads to eating less.

You'll also learn how to help your kids recognize their intuitive hunger signals, taste preferences, and satiation, as well as coping techniques for a range of eating situations including parties, play dates and buffets.

Everyone who attends will leave armed with an individualized action plan to teach your kids the skills they'll need for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Source: The New York Times

Register Today!!!

Read this great article from The New York Times to get started.

~Changing the conversation from nutrition to habits.~