Is your child eating because of hunger or boredom?

Over the festive period, I got a chance to spend some “alone” time with my two-year old daughter and I observed a very interesting thing.

Each time she would get bored or idle, she would ask for something to eat or drink.

Other times when not near her, I would find her going through the kitchen cabinets or trying to open the fridge in the quest for something to eat.

This would happen even a few hours after a heavy meal.

This made me think — do we always feed our children out of hunger or at times we do so because they need something to entertain them and keep them busy?

When I realised that my daughter was using food for entertainment, I put toys in the kitchen cabinets and a few in the pantry and from that day I did not hear her ask for something to eat before her meal/snack time.

I realised that if she found a well-stocked pantry within her reach, she might have filled the empty time and space with food. Children are supposed to be running around, climbing things, lifting things, moving up and down...

This is what they are meant to do during their free time, not sit around watching TV, or playing with gadgets.

If they do the latter, they will somehow need something else to keep them busy and most of the time this “something else will be a snack, even when they are not hungry.”

As parents, we should strive to keep our children busy with physical games and activities and make some lifestyle changes in our households.

For some unhealthy reason, junk food tends to be more appealing to most people especially children.

If you store these high caloric foods in the house, your child is going to want them. Get rid of them and replace them with healthy foods like fruits.

Children learn very well through emulation.

If you as a parent are not physically active and you do not undertake any outdoor activity, how do you expect your child to be active?

If you love relaxing on the couch and watch TV all day, how do you expect your child to be different?

If you are on your phone and other gadgets most of the time when in the house — how do expect your child not to love them too? Encourage your child to get involved more with outdoor activities and help by playing with them.

If your child has unlimited access to video games, the TV, phones and other gadgets, he/ she is most likely to choose them after school or over the weekend.

These gadgets are not bad and can be a form of entertainment for children as long as there is a set limit.

Unless parents set guidelines for such children, they will more likely gravitate toward sedentary ways of entertaining themselves when idle or bored.

Eating out of boredom is a habit that, if left unchecked, could follow any child into adulthood.

Parents should help their children get involved in more physical activities.

They may get annoyed now, but will thank you later.

The writer is a mother and a Nutritionist and Wellness Consultant. Afya Bora Nutrition & Wellness Centre. 5th Ngong Avenue. 5th Avenue Office Suites. Suite 16. Nairobi. www.afyabora.co.ke