Children of any age do not feed themselves; They don’t go to the supermarket to buy their food. They do not decide the weekly menu. They do not buy soft drinks or artificial snacks; they eat what you, as a parent, feed them. We all know that school meals are sorely lacking in nutrition and are heavy in fat and carbohydrates. As parents we also know that many times it has been easier to buy fast food on the way home after a hard day than to cook something nutritious and healthy. We are responsible for the welfare of our children; it is in our hands to prevent our son from being diabetic at an early age.

There are things you can do before it’s too late, now is the time to do them. There isn’t much you can do about the school menu, but you can talk to the person in charge of the cafeteria about keeping your child away from mashed potatoes and fried food. Ask this person to help by giving your child salad, fruit, and foods that contain little or no fat and carbohydrates. If this doesn’t work, pack him a lunch to take to school. A small sacrifice on your part will go a long way toward your child’s health.

Plan your dinner menu in advance. Keep carbs low and add more fresh items like salads and less pasta and fatty foods. We know you’re tired after a long day at work so schedule it to be part of the week’s cooking on Saturday or Sunday, stick it in the fridge so all you have to do is heat and serve. This will save you prep time and be easier on your tired feet and brain. Avoid second servings for children and take dinner to their rooms. Dinner at the table allows for family time and also allows you to control your food intake.

If your kids don’t like sports, that’s okay too. Take them for a walk in the park or go on an evil cruise with them for half an hour or an hour. Believe it or not, walking is a great exercise and calorie burner. Keep a tight rein on games, computers, and TVs, assign your kids ledges in the yard, and pay them a little when they’re done. Exercise, sun, work and salary will also do wonders for their spirits and bodies. You have to be creative to keep them moving, hibernating or hanging out on a cushion or bed is bad for them. Plan trips to the local museum or amusement park, or to the community pool; make them walk, make them move, exercise is the key to health.

Sweets, junk food and sodas are your biggest enemies. Do not keep them at home, this does not mean that you never eat or drink them; Sure you can, but do it once in a while and not as a routine. Kids don’t need dessert every night, save it for special occasions. They don’t need soft drinks, soft drinks don’t even quench their thirst, help them get used to drinking water, lots of water every day. The same goes for junk food; Save it for times when you’re out and about, at the mall or at the movies anywhere but indoors. Teach your children to eat well and they will live well.

Go the extra mile today and your kids will get used to good food and drink. They will get stronger and feel better when they exercise and spend time outdoors. They will learn to manage their time better and become better students and communicate better with you and each other when they lose that horrible addiction to video games and television. Restricting their play and TV time will help them learn communication and interaction skills that they don’t need now because they communicate with machines, not people.

It is not easy and we know that the younger generations have fallen into a death trap. They have lost their ability to express feelings and communicate thoughts. If this continues for a long time, you may no longer speak or think. They themselves will become machines. Some of the horrible episodes we see on the news today began with a lonely boy who is locked in on himself and his mind; a boy who hates himself because he is fat or different from his classmates. This is the age of communication, it’s true, but we should be communicating with each other, not with machines. We should use all these gadgets to improve human communication, not loneliness.