As the end of the school year is nearing and summertime is just around the corner, I’m sure many of you are busy making plans for your children’s vacations. Whether it’s enrolling your kids in camp, summer school or just letting them hang out at home, plans must be made.

Although schools have gotten a lot of negative publicity about their abysmal food selections for children, I was surprised to learn that it is when school is out of session that kids actually gain the most weight. Since it’s almost summer, I want to focus on what parents and caregivers can do at home to make a difference in your child’s health:

1. Model healthy behavior. Children cannot expect to eat more healthfully or be more active than their parents. If you want your child to eat his or her vegetables, then you need to eat yours, too.
2. Turn off the television. Overweight children eat 50% of their meals in front of the TV while healthy weight children eat fewer than 35% of their meals in from of the television. TV should not be part of any meal, regardless of your child’s weight. While watching TV children are bombarded with commercials advertising unhealthy foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Commercials have a lot of influence your children’s food choices.  Studies have shown that the more time  adults and children spend watching TV, the more they weigh.
3. Involve kids in the kitchen. When kids are involved in food preparation, they are more likely to taste new foods.
4. Don’t bring junk food into the house. If you don’t have chips and cookies in the pantry, then there are no temptations. Having junk food in the house and telling them they can’t eat it, sends a confusing message. Only bring food into the house that you want your children to eat.
5. Take an authoritative approach to teaching your kids healthy habits. When it comes to making food choices, don’t be afraid to set clear boundaries. This will be one sure way of avoiding food fights.
6. Build activity into your child’s day. Make physical activity fun. Organized competitive sports are only one way for a child to be active. Noncompetitive activities such as dance, gymnastics and bike riding are good alternatives. Do things as a family, such as taking walks, hiking or bike riding. Doing activities together is an opportunity for modeling good behavior.

Even if your child is not overweight, all children need to learn healthy habits when they are young so that they can grow to be healthy adults. Prevention is essential to your family’s health and with the right guidance your child can be empowered to lead a healthy life.