Healthy Eating/Habits - How to Deal W/ Others Who Don't Share Your View

All you have to do is feed your children the way you want to feed them. if you are going to be leaving your children with the in laws everyday then you should sit them down and explain how and why your child is to be fed. If you will only see them once in awhile then don't stress about it and keep in mind a little tv and cookies chips whatever is ok once in a while. As long as your children are not living the unhealthy lifestyle everyday it is alright. My son is only 13 months old i have never had him in front of the tv much so he shows little interest in it when it is on at other peoples homes. If you raise your child a certain way they will stick to it, but dont be to harsh in limiting sweets, my parents never allowed us to have candy and pop ever and it got to the point where that was all i wanted i would take all my money(from doing chores) and spend it on candy that i kept hidden from my family while i was in elem and junior high school. You have to find a healthy balance, so if you always have your kids eating well then let the grandparents spoil them once in while :) good luck

ONe thing I have done with my kids is explain to them early and often that those choices of what your family eats and how much tv they have watched, has caused them to be fat and unhealthy, and probably not live as long. Your children will then be ready to make a choice themselves.

When they choose to eat junk food, be quick to help them realize how it makes their body feel.

This was an issue with my in-laws as well. (not just with food, but with toys, expensive outings, hockey gear (my son isn't even IN hockey!!), clothes that they don't need, etc).

I brought it up politely to all of them. I told them how my husband and I are raising our children, and they don't have to agree with it, but they do have to respect it. One side of the grandparents didn't want to, so we stopped going to visit. After a few months, grandma called to see why we hadn't allowed any visits, and I told her flat out. Things have really improved since then, but we still have some set backs.

A lot of people think that it's harsh, but it's not. If it was an issue of bullying from a neighbor kid, you wouldn't let your kids go over to play there anymore, so why should I put my kids into a situation with people who obviously don't respect me as a woman or a parent?

I think it's fantastic that you're bringing this up before Baby is born, because I had MAJOR issues when my first was born with all the grandparents giving him solids and cow's milk WAAAAAY before he was ready (his grandma gave him solids at 3 months!). Be polite, but very firm, about how you want your child to be raised, and don't be afraid to put your foot down if it comes to that. Congrats on the little one, I hope you're not waiting too much longer! :)

If they are going to be watching him/her on a regular basis, then I would make sure you have the guidlines established early about what is allowed and what is not. If you do not think they will follow your wishes, I would not use them as caregivers. Otherwise, I would not worry about it. My mom spoils my son the same way. I have set some rules that after a lot of fights she follows (like no caffienated drinks & that he must eat his meal before the junk food). Other than that, I let him have what he wants there, it is only occasionaly and when we go home, he is back to his routine with no problems.

We have the same issue with our parents, and for us this was the non-negotiable. They could spoil the kids however they wanted, but no junk food. They thought we were crazy at first, but have come around to understanding and respecting our wishes.

We have talked with our parents about the following:
-the kids will get plenty of junk food once they are in school and there are birthday parties etc. . . .
-the kids don't know what they are missing at an early age and they don't feel like they are missing out on anything
-the processed junk food isn't good for us anyway, so why start them on it early

When they would bring it up we would repeat our wishes and reasons for deciding to do this. Then we would give them alternatives that they could give our child--strawberries, dried fruit, yogourt, cheese etc.. . . Ultimately they have found that the kids feel most spoiled by the time that our parents spend with them doing things together, not what they give them to eat or watch.

Good Luck.

Beleive it or not your kids may do it for you. My son, because I have taught him to eat healthy, won't eat alot of junk. He knows it gives him a tummy ache when he plays outside and just makes him not feel as good and he has been doing this since he was 2. He will eat 3 cookies and my MIL will offer more and he says no that is all mom says is ok. And he will ask for healthy restaurants to go to, because those are the ones we go to. Because I have instilled those habits he knows those are the way things go in our house and he doesn't mess with them. I allow him one unhealthy snack a day but the rest are fruits and veggies and he sticks by that with or without me. It was a little bit harder when he was younger but since kindergarten that is the way it is. It's really nice.