Setting a good example for children when it comes to healthy eating habits and being physically active are parental responsibilities which deem parents as first line role models. Children should not have to look beyond the home to find good role models but it is most often children look to professional athletes, famous actors, musical artist, and believe it or not mythical super heroes.
Yes when asked, some children actually named movie super heroes as people they would want to be like; and they were not little first graders but actual high school students. That is an extraordinary circumstance of the lessened maturity level of many of today’s youth and their grasp of reality.
Most children are plugged into artificial reality to the extent that they do not have a clear distinction between the real and the fabricated reality worlds of television, the movies, music videos, and the internet?
It was not so long ago that firemen, family members, and military and other uniformed people were represented as what a good role model for children were. But now some children may consider a TV cartoon character like Bart Simpson as their role model.
This escapism is very much connected to the sedentary lifestyle many families live these days. Everybody seems to be plugged in to social media and not paying attention to one another, thus living lives in a closed zone which lacks physical movement and eating quick fix and high sugary stimulus foods and drinks.
Where do they learn these behaviors? Are such actions discouraged or reinforced in the home?Well most often children continue to do what they might learn at home and continue the practice on the outside of the home. So if parents are not good role models when it comes to diet and physical activity it is often reflected in their children’s choices for living.
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