Children will eat their greens if parents do too!

http://www.NaturalNews.com/025751.html
This article talks about how children will eat more fruit and vegetables if their parents eat more fruit and vegetables around them. I thought that this article was very interesting because in my psychology and sociology classes we discussed and have learned a lot about child development and also about how children are taught things that they do. In both classes we talked about nature versus nurture and this article reminded me of that. If a child grows up and is around parents or people that ‘eat their greens’ then they are very likely going to consider eating fruit and veggies as just normal eating habits rather that healthy eating as it is mainly considered to most people now. Maybe the growth of the fast food industry is what is causing all the hype about needing fruit and vegetables in your daily diet? Was there not a time when eating food that is essential for your body’s needs considered normal? On a regular basis I hear the issue of over weight and obese children in America and thing that are being done to reduce those numbers. Too often parents are choosing to eat out instead of eating food that is prepared at home. I think that it is a very good thing that eating healthy is such a big deal right now but I also think that it is kind of a sad thing that we have to do research on how to make people eat healthy. I think it is silly that a news article needs to advise parents to eat fruit and veggies so that their kids do. You would think that parents would do that anyways…

I know that when I was a little kid my parents made me eat fruits and veggies. Well I liked the fruit so that wasn't that bad. But the veggies on the other hand I didn't like so much. But there were a few that I did eat. Now that I'm older I eat fruit and veggies all the time. I even eat them more than my parents. I eat them not only because they are good for me but I like eating them. I think parents need to take a breather and out of their busy schedules and realize what they are feeding their kids. They could stay home more and make homemade meals. Like at fast food restaurants, I know they have fruits and veggies at restaurants so get them something good.

I remember that in my psychology class. Children learn things either learning experience or just a force of habit. My little girl does not like a dirty room because I am always cleaning up. So after her mess up she cleans up. I eat a lot of healthy foods, and so does she, so I do believe what this article is saying. Because children do what their parents do, that is how they learn things. People get mad when their children start doing bad things and cussing at an early age, I said you cannot get mad at the children, because they think whatever you do is right. So you can’t blame the children.

I would have to disagree with that article. Growing up both of my parents ‘ate their greens’ and I for one did not. I tend to a little bit more now that I am older and my taste buds have developed but just because my parents ate something I did not always eat it. I would try it, but if I did not like it I did not eat it and I was never forced to eat it. Since I was never forced to eat my greens I also kept trying them as I got older. I have always believed in as long as you try something then you have room to talk.