Many parents turn to food when they need to celebrate, console or discipline their children. Usually they are guided by the feelings they want to convey and there are other ways to accomplish the same thing without resorting to treats and other kinds of food.
| Situations | Feelings parents want to convey | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing a physical injury or hurt feelings | Comfort, love, belonging and relief | A heartfelt hug, soothing hand, bubble bath, breathing exercise, reading together |
| Celebrating an achievement | Pride, joy and honor | Watch a video clip with your child while expressing your thoughts and feelings |
| Getting them to complete basic chores and tasks | Motivation, inspiration | Play their favorite song, dancing and singing along to the music |
| Nudging them to complete a big project | Encouragement, support | Praise effort and see if they would welcome your help |
| Making them cut out annoying behavior | Disapproval, frustration | Give them a squishy toy to play with, using as few words as possible to describe the behavior they need to stop |
