Parenting Advice School-Age Kids Offer to Parents to Promote Healthier Child Weight-Related Behaviors

Abstract

Objective: To explore parenting advice children would provide to help parents encourage positive health-related behaviors by children.

Design: Focus group discussions were conducted, and children shared the advice they would provide parents to help them encourage healthy weight-related behaviors (ie, diet, physical activity, and sleep) for children.

Setting: Focus groups (n = 65) were conducted in 3 states (Florida, New Jersey, and West Virginia).

Participants: School-age children (n = 194) between the ages of 6 and 11 years old.

Phenomenon of interest: What parenting practices are recommended by children, and are they in line with best-practice guidelines?

Analysis: Focus group data were analyzed to identify themes and trends.

Results: Children's recommendations were congruent with authoritative parenting styles (ie, high levels of warmth and control). Most of the advice shared by children aligned with recommended parent practices (ie, responsive feeding, facilitation, environmental restructuring, parent modeling, and encouragement). However, not all of the children's advice aligned with best practices guidelines (ie, use of food rewards and deception).

Conclusions and implications: Future nutrition education programs may be strengthened by helping parents adopt best practices for promoting healthy child behaviors. Furthermore, teaching children about recommended child feeding parenting practices may help protect future generations by preparing children to care for younger siblings or raise their children using best parenting practices.

Keywords: child; focus groups; health; parenting.