Have you ever stood in front of the mirror, looking at your gradually expanding figure, feeling a sense of helplessness and anxiety? Have you ever heard the call from deep within during the quiet nights, saying, “I want to lose weight!” However, is weight loss really just a battle with weight? In fact, it is more like a challenge with your own mindset. Today, Wu Yihe is here to talk about the topic of weight loss and how to cultivate children’s positive thinking and self-guidance abilities in parenting.
Recently, the topic of #Do you think weight loss is painful# on social media has sparked heated discussions. Many people have shared their weight loss experiences, some full of pain and struggle, while others seem relaxed and happy. This inevitably makes us think, does weight loss always have to be accompanied by pain? In the process of parenting, how should we as parents guide children to develop a positive mindset, helping them to face challenges in a more composed manner?
First of all, we need to clarify that weight loss is not a painful process; it is a change in lifestyle, a pursuit of health. Just as Yin Jianli said in “Good Mothers Are Better Than Good Teachers”: “The essence of education is guidance, not coercion.” Similarly, the essence of weight loss is also to guide oneself to form a healthy lifestyle, not to force oneself to do things they do not like.
Thought One: Growth Mindset
People with a growth mindset believe that abilities can be improved through effort. In the process of weight loss, we can educate children that weight fluctuation is not a measure of self-worth but an embodiment of health and vitality. Through exercise and healthy eating, we can become stronger and more energetic.
When Kangkang was learning to ride a bicycle as a child, he always fell and felt discouraged. I told him that each fall is part of learning, and the key is to keep trying. We set a daily practice time and distance together, gradually increasing the difficulty. Whenever Kangkang could ride a longer distance or fall less, I would praise and encourage him. As a result, Kangkang gradually overcame the fear of failure, learned to enjoy the learning process, and finally mastered riding a bicycle successfully.
By creating exercise plans and healthy recipes together with my child, I not only helped myself lose weight but also taught Kangkang how to improve his physical fitness through a positive lifestyle.
Thought Two: Goal-Setting Mindset
Setting specific, achievable goals is the key to successful weight loss. When educating children, parents can guide them to learn how to set goals and work towards them. This applies not only to weight loss but also to other aspects of life.
When Kangkang wanted to participate in the school’s running competition in elementary school but was worried about not running fast enough, I helped him set daily running distances and times, gradually increasing them. We created a progress chart together to record daily running situations. During training, I adjusted the training plan based on his performance to ensure the achievability of the goal. As a result, Kangkang not only improved his running speed but also learned how to enhance his abilities by setting and achieving goals.
I taught my son how to set goals for running, starting from 500 meters per day, gradually increasing to 1 kilometer, 2 kilometers, and finally, Kangkang not only improved his physical fitness but also learned how to achieve long-term plans through phased goals.
Thought Three: Mindfulness Mindset
Mindfulness is a mindset that focuses on the present, helping us reduce anxiety and stress during weight loss. When educating children, parents can teach them how to focus on the present feelings during meals instead of excessively worrying about the future.
When Kangkang was a child, he was always picky eater and didn’t like vegetables. I taught him to focus on the taste and texture of the food during meals, instead of thinking about what he didn’t like. I told him that every bite of food is a gift from nature and should be cherished. By involving Kangkang in food preparation, he gained more understanding and interest in food. As a result, Kangkang gradually learned to appreciate various foods, reduced his picky eating behavior, and became healthier.
I taught my son to focus on the taste and texture of food during meals, not only helping Kangkang enjoy each meal but also teaching him how to practice mindfulness in daily life.
Thought Four: Self-Motivation Mindset
Self-motivation is a significant force that drives us forward. During weight loss, parents can teach children how to find inner motivation instead of relying on external rewards or punishments.
If Kangkang lacks motivation in studying and always needs my supervision, I noticed his interest in history and encouraged him to learn through reading history books. We set learning goals together and established rewards for achieving them, like completing a book would earn him a small trip. I taught Kangkang how to manage his study time and progress independently. As a result, Kangkang not only made remarkable progress in history studies but also learned how to enhance his learning efficiency through self-motivation.
By setting up a reward mechanism with Kangkang, such as being able to go on a small trip for every amount of weight lost, this stimulated Kangkang’s positivity in weight loss.
Thought Five: Reflection and Adjustment Mindset
In the process of weight loss, setbacks are inevitable. When educating children, parents can teach them how to learn from failures, reflect, and adjust their methods.
When a child encounters a bottleneck in weight loss, instead of blaming them, analyze the reasons together, adjust the diet and exercise plan, and ultimately help the child overcome the bottleneck.
Conclusion:
Through the guidance in this article, we can not only help ourselves and children have a more relaxed and enjoyable weight loss journey but also teach them a positive attitude and coping strategies when facing challenges in life. Remember, weight loss is not a battle; it is an art of life.
Wu Yihe’s message: Through the sharing in this article, we can see that applying these mindset training to children’s daily lives can not only help them better cope with challenges but also cultivate their self-management and problem-solving abilities. These skills will have a profound impact on the entire growth process of children.
In the next article, we will share the topic #How to deal with a stubborn baby over one year old#, so stay tuned!
【PS1】How to cultivate children’s growth mindset and inner motivation, click my profile picture–Letter–”Circle”, to explore more topics on family education, parent-child communication, etc.
【PS2】Finally, if you are interested in how to improve children’s concentration, feel free to repost, click my profile picture–Letter–”Focus”, to get “How to Improve Children’s Concentration Unintentionally.”
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