The words we use now can shape the voices our children carry in their minds later

As a child were you told to finish the food on your plate?

I encourage my kids to leave some food on their plate and stop eating when they feel full enough.

To be correct, I encourage my kids to only take a little food and go back for seconds if still hungry. In a restaurant or at someone else’s house, I encourage them to speak up and say, 'thank you, I had enough'.

I want to teach them to have a healthy relationship with food, and to speak up. (don’t worry, I don’t deny them food… lol)

The old view of ‘you have to eat what’s on your plate’ is so wrong on so many levels.

No, you don’t. And you shouldn’t.

You shouldn’t overeat out of politeness or expectations, and feel the guilt, pressure or shame afterwards.

This got me thinking. What else are we still doing as parents to our kids, that we learned from our parents and still haven’t shaken off and not benefitting our children?

Eat faster! You’re such a slow eater.

Come on, hurry up! You’re so slow.

Be quiet! You talk too much.

You’re so messy.

You’re so clumsy.

I’m not an exception either, I have said these things.

The words we use now can shape the voices our children carry in their minds later.

Unintentionally, we can create negative beliefs for our children that can have long-term consequences.

What is one belief or habit that you used to do but left behind because you realised it was outdated?

Are you still holding onto beliefs that you could question?

Let’s start talking about these things. That’s how we grow.