What if your child's eating habits are different from yours?
孩子的飲食習(xí)慣跟你不一樣怎么辦?
IN MY PSYCHOLOGY practice, I am almost always seeing at least one child or teen who has decided to try out a restrictive diet, or one that limits what they can eat. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free or very high protein or low-carb diets are the most common.
在我的心理學(xué)實踐中,我?guī)缀蹩偸强吹街辽儆幸粋€孩子或十幾歲的孩子決定嘗試一種限制性飲食,或者限制他們能吃的東西。素食主義者,嚴(yán)格素食主義者,無麩質(zhì),無乳制品,無糖或高蛋白或低碳水化合物飲食是最常見的。
Kids share different reasons for choosing these diets. Some do it for medical reasons – though sometimes it’s based on what they’ve read online, and not necessarily supported by sound science. Teens may feel peer pressure to follow restrictive diets in an effort to lose weight. Or it may be about supporting a cause, like animal rights. For some, food restriction is a passing fad, but for others it can become a way of life.
孩子們選擇這些飲食有不同的原因。有些人這樣做是出于醫(yī)學(xué)原因——盡管有時是基于他們在網(wǎng)上讀到的東西,而不一定有可靠的科學(xué)依據(jù)。為了減肥,青少年可能會感到來自同齡人的壓力,必須嚴(yán)格控制飲食。也可能是為了支持一項事業(yè),比如動物的權(quán)利。對一些人來說,控制食物只是一時的流行,但對另一些人來說,它可以成為一種生活方式。
Parents, very often, become alarmed or upset when a child adopts a restrictive diet, or one that is unusual for the family. They don't understand, or they disagree with their child's position, worry that the child will not eat a full range of nutrients, and may also feel resentful that the diet requires special food shopping and cooking. It’s not unusual for parents and kids to begin arguing over this issue.
當(dāng)孩子采用限制性飲食或?qū)彝碚f不尋常的飲食時,父母往往會感到驚慌或不安。他們不理解,或者不同意孩子的立場,擔(dān)心孩子不能吃到全部的營養(yǎng),也可能對這種要求購買特殊的食材和特殊的烹飪方法的飲食感到不滿。父母和孩子就這個問題開始爭論并不罕見。
Choosing a radical diet, especially one that’s also endorsed by peers, can be another way of teen rebellion, and should be treated in the same way. As long as the behavior isn't dangerous, it's better to express curiosity rather than trying to shut down a new dietary approach.
選擇一種極端的飲食,尤其是一種也得到同齡人認(rèn)可的飲食,可能是青少年叛逆的另一種方式,應(yīng)該以同樣的方式對待。只要這種行為不危險,最好表現(xiàn)出好奇心,而不是試圖關(guān)閉這種新的飲食方式。
In many cases, when parents demonstrate interest and support of the child generally, the child no longer feels the need to rebel in this way and the diet fades rather quickly. Shop for food and cook meals together, discuss your child's beliefs in an open manner and, if necessary, gently educate them about the medical value of their eating choices.
在很多情況下,當(dāng)父母對孩子表現(xiàn)出普遍的興趣和支持時,孩子就不再覺得有必要以這種方式反抗,飲食也會很快消失。一起購買食物和做飯,以開放的方式討論孩子的信仰,如果有必要,溫柔地對他們的飲食選擇的醫(yī)學(xué)價值進(jìn)行教育。
It's sometimes helpful to see a health professional to ensure a child is eating a nutritionally balanced diet, which is usually surprisingly easy to do. If you do have any concerns that the diet may be unhealthy or overly restrictive, it may be a good idea to suggest talking with a pediatrician, a registered dietitian or both.
有時去看健康專家來確保孩子吃的是營養(yǎng)均衡的飲食是有幫助的,這通常是非常容易做到的。如果你確實擔(dān)心這種飲食可能不健康或過于嚴(yán)格,建議與兒科醫(yī)生、注冊營養(yǎng)師或同時咨詢二者。
However, if the child continues to eat in a way that reflects their beliefs, it's possible that this will be maintained as the child grows into an adult.
然而,如果孩子繼續(xù)以一種反映他們信仰的方式進(jìn)食,那么隨著孩子長大成人,這種飲食習(xí)慣可能會保持下去。
It is, therefore, important for parents to remember that raising a child in no way guarantees that he or she will share all your values. In fact, when kids grow up to feel confident enough to form their own beliefs, it means parents have done a great job raising them to feel secure and comfortable in their choices.
因此,重要的是,父母要記住,撫養(yǎng)孩子并不能保證他或她會分享你所有的價值觀。事實上,當(dāng)孩子們長大后,對自己的信仰有足夠的信心時,這就意味著父母在培養(yǎng)孩子們對自己的選擇感到安全和舒適方面做得很好。