▸ Teach children to serve themselves. When they do so, they tend to consume child-sized portions. This requires more patience and guidance from parents at the outset.
Dr. Johnson also offered several guidelines for promoting physical activity in toddlers:
▸ Make sure parents know about developmental milestones, such as standing and walking.
▸ Praise activity in children, and give them an opportunity to be active. Toddlers love routines; consider structured active time at a specific time during the day.
▸ Toddlers should not be sedentary for more than an hour at a time, unless they are sleeping.
▸ Create a safe area in the house where toddlers can be free to move, or take them to the zoo, park, or an indoor play area.
▸ Encourage dancing and play that is active.
Here are some questions for parents that serve as reminders:
▸ Do you, the parent, eat fruits and vegetables in front of your child? A parent's modeling of healthy eating can have a significant impact on a child's eating.
▸ Do you participate in active play with your child?
▸ Do you have family meals, in which the parents and children together eat healthy foods?
▸ Do you hide food from your children? Do they find it? All parents hide food from children, but it often doesn't work.
Sources: Susan L. Johnson, Ph.D.; Circulation 2005;112:2061–75; National Association for Sport and Physical Education Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers (
http://www.aahperd.org/NASPE/template.cfm?template=toddlers.html