Is there a kid friendly app like this?

CherokeeTopaz

I dont want to be bashed on anything.. and for the most part the majority of my kids are at a very healthy weight.. except my youngest boy. I myself am struggling with excess weight, and I want to help him keep his in check because it's my responsibility. I will never make him go hungry but I would like a calculator like this of sorts to help decide if he can have that extra juice or cupcake.. or to gauge how much active time he needs each day.. Hes the the 95th percentile.. technically classifies as obese... but not by much it's just 3 lbs. Idk my other kids can eat whatever and not gain.. but seems like my youngest takes after me. Any advice..? I just want to keep it in check before it becomes a problem later. My nephew is completely in the severely obese category and my sister is doing nothing for him but I dont want my son to have the teasing and health problems that come with being overweight. Kids can be cruel afterall.

aokoye

The quick answer is, no. The slightly longer answer is that you need to talk to your son's pediatrician and be very careful about what messages you may be sending him, unconsciously or not.

ogtmama

I have found in my life that when I take the time to sort out my own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, then that seems to trickle down to my kids❤

puffbrat

I second the suggestion to talk with his pediatrician first. You want to be careful about what messages you send your son.

In the meantime, you might want to focus more on things like keeping juice and sweets out of the house except for special occasions, and doing active family activities rather than deliberate exercise? I would also suggest adjusting your mindset so that changes in the household become more about everyone living differently and learning more about balance and healthy lifestyles rather than just focusing on your youngest son.

NovusDies

I agree with consulting your pediatrician. The answer to how much time a kid should spend being active though is LOADS. Find an active hobby, club, or sport for the kid to invest in. Plan fun family activities too.

jelleigh

I'm with the advice here. After growing up with a fat - phobic mother who had horrible eating habits but was active enough to avoid weight issues, I can say that the messaging about 'weight' and 'weight loss' can really set some unhealthy trends and issues. Better to make subtle but consistent changes to the family lifestyle and incorporate fun activity. Or at the most maybe a little nutrition type education so he understand how to fuel his body in a good way.

apullum

I would be very careful about an app for a child since children are still growing and have unique needs that are quite different from adults. I agree that speaking with your son's pediatrician is best.

CSARdiver

For kids I find it more effective to motivate through activity. Involve him in your routine and lead by example. Kids process information very directly and without all the nuance we do as adults, so you have a great degree of latitude.

Use caution in trusting advice from degreed professionals as most have no clue what weight management boils down to, but have a degree and letters behind their name which leads to a lot of misinformation and confirmation bias.

Kids are exceptionally tone conscious - in many ways more than adults, so ensure you believe what you say. If you're selling exercise as a celebration, but don't really believe this all it takes is a child to call out the BS.

JeromeBarry1

When I was in high school as a freshman, I bicycled 3 miles to school, one-way, did football practice 5 days a week, and maintained 220 lb at 5'10". I ate a lot more then than I did 10 years later when I worked a sedentary job and maintained 320.

All the above advice is excellent.
Sports, vegetables, proteins, less or none of the plastic-packaged grain-based sweet treats.