Avoiding the Holiday Pitfalls

The night before Christmas your children are actually more likely to be dreaming of Santa Claus than sugar plums, but the holidays from October through December will already have been filled with candy, meats, gravies, stuffing, and pies. Don't deprive your children because of anything you read here, but do teach them to enjoy the holidays without indulging in the opportunities to overeat that are so readily available. Your children are exposed to goodies at every turn during the holidays. The well-intentioned teacher has a jar of candy on his desk, the bus driver passes out candy as your kids board her bus, and even the parents of your children's friends are distributing calories and cholesterol.

The good news is that most people don't gain as much weight as they think they do during the holidays. The bad news is that the weight people do gain then is not likely to be lost during the new year. You and your children can sample the goodies available during the holidays, but teach your children to limit themselves to small portions rather than eating a whole platter of pastries. In addition to encouraging your kids to practice moderation, make sure to keep their activity levels high. This can range from unorganized play outside to a family trip to the ice skating rink.

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From Raising Healthy Eaters: 100 Tips for Parents by Henry Legere, M.D. Copyright � 2004. Used by arrangement with The Perseus Books Group.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.

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