If you’ve clicked on this Parents’ page, you probably fit into one of these categories:
- You have a child whose eating and exercise habits are a concern for you, or…
- You’re a teenager who has a parent who you wish would not be so concerned about your weight.
I have a message for both… as frustrated as you may be, you have control in your situation that you’re not yet aware of.
To Parents: One of the toughest parenting lessons I ever learned was that sometimes the best approach is to just back off. (My husband can tell you how hard this was for me to learn! But he can also tell you what a positive change it’s made for all of us.) I’m not advocating an approach that say’s “okay, I’m throwing in the towel”. But I do recommend a backing off approach that whispers, “okay, I’m going to give you some space and trust in your own wisdom”. There’s a big difference!
To Teens: As ridiculous as this may sound to you right now, your parent’s overwhelming concern about your weight has more to do with your parent than it does with you. How do I know this? Because I overwhelmed my own daughter until I learned how not to. While I intended to convey concern and love to my child, my actions and comments felt more like criticism to her. I know that being the child in a parent-child relationship can sometimes feel powerless, but you’ll be doing yourself a tremendous favor if you recognize that you DO have power. Your power is in how you understand your parent’s words and actions. You can either make them mean something about you… or NOT. My hope is that you choose whichever makes you feel better about yourself… because when you FEEL better, you DO better. Give it a try!
