Ask
Our Experts: My 7-Yr-Old Is Comfort Eating
What do you do when your 7 year-old is turning to comfort eating after
an difficult experience? In this extract from our archives, parenting
expert and child psychologist Dr Pat Spungin, CEO of Raisingkids.co.uk,
suggests ways of working through this.
Raisingkids
member's problem
Following my divorce from my husband a year ago, my 7 year-old (our only
child) doesn't want to talk about her feelings. She seems fairly OK most
of the time but she's eating more and more sugary snacks and getting quite
upset if denied them (she's always been a picky eater and doesn't like
exercise either). I'm concerned about her health in the longer term and
also worried she's burying her feelings under food instead of discussing
them. By the way, my husband and I have managed to keep things fairly
amicable and he sees her often.
Dr
Spungin's advice
At 7, your daughter doesn't really have the vocabulary to talk about her
feelings. Don't force it with her. If an opportunity presents itself and
you see that she is concerned or unhappy about something, you could say
something like 'Are you upset that Daddy doesn't live with us any more?'
If she takes up your cue, fine, but I wouldn't push it. Children are quite
resilient. She still sees her Daddy, she knows that both of you still
love her, so maybe she has come to terms with it.
Regarding
the sugary snacks, don't buy them - or maybe buy less of them. If sweets
are not available, then the issue of denying her won't arise. If her choice
of things to eat only includes healthy foods, then she'll eat the healthy
stuff.
If you're worried about her not getting enough
exercise, try after-school clubs like gymnastics or ballet. Do you play
a sport or exercise yourself? Perhaps you could join a club together,
or go swimming together? Try walking with her instead of driving, as it's
also a very good opportunity to talk together. Establish good food and
exercise habits now and they will last!
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