How to approach?

[Skysue]

I just started watching a very sweet and caring almost 3-year-old boy. He is clearly obese; I can't even lift him very well to take him over the gate to the nap room. My DD is 6 years old and is close to 48lbs he is well over her weight. I would say close to 60lbs.

His Mom on his medical info sheet says he doesn't know when to stop eating and to watch his portions and only offer healthy alternatives.

When it comes to nutrition that’s my middle name! I'm just extremely confused as he tells me they give him chocolate cereal for breakfast and lost of chocolate treats at home?
He is always asking for juice but I told him we get water at my house and juice once and a while as a special treat.

How to approach the subject without hurting feelings? He has only been with me for a week and I have been thinking of doing a cooking corner to my electronic daily reports. Plus nutrition facts and tips.

What do you ladies think?

P.S He isn’t fussy when it comes to eating anything he loves fruits and veggies!

[AmandaKDT]

You can only do so much at daycare, it has to be at home as well. You could serve him only the most nutritious food, but if he is eating junk at home it negates all your good efforts. If you really want to help him, you are going to have to talk to his parents.

I am in a similar situation right now, I have a 3 year old dcg that apparently lives on juice at home (and not even real juice, the sugar-filled fruit punch type juice) and gets sent it in her lunch here everyday as well. I have to force her to drink water everyday because all she wants is her juice box. She is a skinny little thing, but I really think she is getting sugar overload everyday. She also told me she eats Lucky Charms for breakfast everyday too - lovely! So I am just getting my thoughts together now about how to bring up this discussion with her mom because I think it is really detrimental to her long term health. Don't mean to high jack the post, but I was just about to put my own post up when I saw this.

[torontokids]

You could say to mom that you guys were talking about healthy eating and he mentioned he eats a lot of chocolate etc when each child spoke about what they eat at home. I would say that you are confused as they asked that he eat a healthy diet and inquire about what their ideas are for healthy eating. You can then give a copy of your menu and explain what the kids are eating and that he has been eating super healthy without issue.

If he gives his parents a hard time at home re: food (or perhaps they have just developed some bad habits) offer to have a healthy eating week as one of your themes which incorporates them tracking what they eat at home or perhaps trying a new healthy recipe at home. I've had these conversations with families that have very small children and the child is a very picky eater. One family consulted with a nutritionist and is incorporating some of our meal ideas at home.

[mimi]

I don't think you can change what these parents are choosing to feed their child. I am sure their family doctor is aware of this child's weight issues and has already advised Mom who may not be following doctors advice but is well aware of what he should be eating. All you can do is feed him well at your home and to help him want to make healthy choices by teaching him the benefits of doing so.
Explain your food choices to him like juice tastes good, but it has a lot of sugar which our body doesn't like so we chose to eat our fruit instead. Just encourage his love of the fruits and vegetables and congratulate him on his good choices.

[daycarewhisperer]

I did an interview a while back with a family that had two girls. A one year old and 2.5 year old. They were the heaviest children I have ever seen in real life. The older girl was so heavy she couldn't climb the basement stairs. She got really winded before we got up six stairs and had to stop. Just walking around in my playroom winded them. I cut the interview short because I knew I couldn't accommodate them. They wouldn't fit in my equipment and they wouldn't be able to make it two houses down the sidewalk for our walks. I would have had to hire an assistant for them to adapt my environment to meet their needs.

It was very sad that kids could get that heavy that young.

[Skysue]

I don't think you can change what these parents are choosing to feed their child. I am sure their family doctor is aware of this child's weight issues and has already advised Mom who may not be following doctors advice but is well aware of what he should be eating. All you can do is feed him well at your home and to help him want to make healthy choices by teaching him the benefits of doing so.
Explain your food choices to him like juice tastes good, but it has a lot of sugar which our body doesn't like so we chose to eat our fruit instead. Just encourage his love of the fruits and vegetables and congratulate him on his good choices.

Thanks I will push promoting what's healthy to my daycare group. I need to get food group cards like the food guides used in the schools.

We preach this to our own DD and she knows what's junk and what's good. She has turned down stuff from friends due to it being bad for you. She loves Nips crackers and always asks me to buy them but I explained that they contain MSG and that is a poison to our bodies.

I will work on finding those cards!

[Crayola kiddies]

Feed him smaller portions and only give seconds of veggies(fruit is loaded in sugar) keep the carbs to a bare minimum (none if possible cause he's probably getting more then enough at home) When outside create games that include lots of movement such as tag, obstacle courses, follow the leader. Go for long walks and don't put him in a wagon or stroller..... He walks. If you don't have a play structure in your yard then go to a park that has one and get him climbing. Inside play movement games or turn on the music and do lots of dancing. This coupled with only a few carbs and lots of veggies should get him to lose a few pounds. If you have a scale put him on it and then reweigh him every two weeks or once a month to see if it working.

[playfelt]

There are actually several genetic conditions where over eating and not understanding food needs is part of it. I wonder how often he visits the doctor. I would probably ask if he is being monitored for his food intake as you would like to speak with his nutritionist or could the parents pass on info they have been given regarding feeding frequency and amounts to serve. Doing it from the perspective of what you need will get you the info as to whether they have sought out this info and if not might put the thought in their heads that things are getting very quickly out of hand.

[Crayola kiddies]

Also I read an article in the newspaper last summer regarding cereal and it said that if two of the first three ingredients are sugar or forms of sugar (corn syrup, glucose/fructose ect) then don't buy it .... It's like eating candy for breakfast.

[JennJubie]

Poor little guy. Childhood obesity is so serious.

I feel like I'm constantly arguing with my son since he's gone to school, he sees his friends at school bringing pre packaged sugary treats and he get upset that I don't send him with stuff like that. Unhealthy eating can produce so many health problems