No kids here, but if you do, I have a question for you.

I make sure they have well balanced meals and I control their intake of sugar. Basically the only drinks we have in our home are watered down apple juice and milk. Also, My doctor did suggest that i keep an eye on portions, we they have the colorful portion plates. It helps my son who has autism not freak out when his food touch.

I do not count calories for my kids. They are 4 and 6. Some days they eat like birds, other days like sumo wrestlers. They are learning the 80/20 split for food though - some food is just not the main part of the diet and there are better choices than others. They eat mostly healthy foods, mostly home prepared, but they also get snacks, ice cream, fast food. That stuff just makes up a very small part of their day.

i was fat at 8 years old. wish i had been taught a thing or two!

I absolutely do not count my child's calories. She is 4 years old and there is no need for her to be calorie concious.

I do however, talk to her about healthy choices. For example, if she asks for a snack I let her chose between 2 fruits. And I give her water to drink and we talk about why water is good for you. Of course she gets treats and candy and some junk food (even the occassional Happy Meal) but she knows that they are only treats and not all-the-time foods.

I also keep her active - plenty of outdoor play time, active Wii games, limited screen time, family walks, organized sports.

Between making good choices and activity, there will never be a need to count calories.

Not at all. I know roughly what they should have in a day and just give it to them, if they are hungry they snack on crackers or fruit and at weekends they get sweets if they have behaved during the week. They are interested in what they eat so I tell them whats in it and what it does to them to make their body run (eldest is autistic and information hungry ALLLL of the time) but I dont worry about treats or cakes or calorific values.

um... feed them like normal people. We've been doing this for 1000s of years. I don't buy "crap in a box". Easier, cheaper to make things from scratch. PLUS, it is impossible to 'count calories' for your children, they have two hands and a brain... no one locks up their pantry.

No I don't count their calories. But I do keep track of how many glasses of milk (or dairy products) that they drink. And because my two boys have issues with meat, I keep my eye on their protein sources. I also push fruits and veggies so much that my kids complain that I make them eat "too healthy". A mom can never win. LOL

This is how it works in my house: the kids have to sit at the table with the family during meal time, even if they claim they aren't hungry. They have to try 1 bite of what I cooked. After that, they decide how much they eat.

They are both at a healthy weight, pediatrician says they are thriving. I'm happy.


I try my best to provide them with a variety of healthy foods during the week. They are getting better at trying them. We don't go to McDonalds except for maybe 3-4 times a year. I despise the place.


ETA - I have never once told my kids I'm trying to lose weight. I tell them that I didn't take care of my body for a long time, and I'm working to make it healthier now. They never see me step on a scale. We talk about foods that are good for our bodies, and other foods that are 'just for fun'. They are learning that 'just for fun' foods are a 'sometimes, not all the time' thing. They are learning, and hopefully this will be a good basis for them when they start making all their own food choices.

Nope boy (5) eats whatever he wants & in adult portion sizes, he is v v active & will eat until full. Some days he doesn't want to eat at all & that is fine & other days he eats non stop & that is also fine. Nothing is off limits.

No. When my youngest was little, I had to make sure he hate enough and get plenty of protien, he was underweight, as we're my other two, but my youngest was weak and tired and geting sickly from it.. I didn't count calories or protein grams, but did a lot of label and food info reading.

We talk about healthy food choices. Lke carbs are important for their energy, but not the only foods they should have. Dairy, protein, fruits and veggies are also good for them.. The younger two would live on toast and crackers.

We get plenty of activity.

They are high school age now so we do talk more specifics about needed exercize, working out, nutrition now.

My kids have always beenn thin, my husband and I have always been thin (I am here just for a few vanity pounds and get healthy and workout more), all,other family members are thin except my mom and a few of her side relatives. I am not concerned about their weight, just a bit about getting more exercise.

I don't count calories but I do try to teach them good habits such as:

- eat/chew slower
- set your utensil down and taste the food
- still hungry? have more fruit or vegetables
- taking a junk snack (what little I buy)? take a handful or get a bowl and stop
- Pop? have a water first.

I count her calories.. As I do for the whole family. Healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, a lower calorie dessert. But, I don't tell her I am doing so. If we are going to eat something heavier we do some sort of higher intensity physical activity as a family. She has lost some weight over the last 3 months. And is getting the idea that it doesn't take much to be healthy (because she is sharp enough to realize spaghetti has been replaced by zucchini and spaghetti squash).

I have 3 children. The older two are grown and on their own. I have only a 12 year old left at home. The youngest is learning disabled and in special ed, and she wears think glasses and had a gap between her front teeth (she now has braces). She has always had to endure teasing and bullying constantly because of the aforementioned, and it took a toll on her self-esteem. So much so, that she developed an eating disorder at the ripe old age of 10 when some kids at school called her "fat" (she has never been anywhere near fat in her life). My husband and I tried everything we could, short of force-feeding her. She lost 20 lbs.in three months time. We finally took her to a pediatrician who taught her about food & diet, AND she saw a pediatric psychologist who, along with us, worked with her on her self-esteem. She's now a month away from being 13 and weighs 105, is happy about her body and what she accomplished to get it, and has learned how to deal with bullies.

I think it's more important that children feel good about themselves, regardless of what they look like or weigh. Self esteem is a fragile thing, and any damage to it can have catastrophic consequences.

I have three boys, ages 11, 9 and 4. Everyone gets to eat when they're hungry, I don't force anyone to clean their plate, although we don't allow dessert when it's available if you don't eat your dinner (you're obviously not hungry enough for extra stuff).

My 9 year old however is chubby. He's too young to go and work out, and he really isn't a sports guy. He's concerned about his weight, and really he's a clone of his dad, who is/was also chubby but who looks great when he runs and weight trains. I told my kid that when he's old enough to join a gym, his body would be more pleasing to him, but until then, I was going to help him stick with healthy food and not eat when he wasn't hungry.

Which I do. Not strictly or so he'll feel ashamed. And when the other guys eat candy at Halloween or ice cream, so does he. He's a kid. When he's grown I have a million ways he can fight his genetics if he's wanting advice. Especially since I'm an eating disorder survivor.

I do keep an eye on what my oldest eats. I once figured up what her caloric intake should be for sedentary - because that is what she is most of the time. I keep her meals on par with mine, and try to teach her about healthy foods versus not healthy. She is 11 and 20 pounds overweight, which is completely and totally my fault. I didn't care about myself for a time, so I didn't pay attention to what she was doing either. Now that I am "better" I am teaching her to care about eating healthy so she feels good and lives a long time. It's been much harder trying to get her to be active. She does go on walks me sometimes, but she would much rather read all day long than go outside and play. I can't blame her, I would too.

But in answer, I don't count her calories, but I make sure she is not over indulging and making healthy choices.