Should Kids Be Rewarded With Food For Good Behaviour?

We all know the drill. Your little darling has been as good as gold for the last 45 minutes and it feels like some sort of miracle. Naturally, you want to reward them for such good behaviour after not kicking the seat in front of them on the bus and refraining from stealing their siblings’ toys.

Many of us would reach for a bag of sweets, offer them an ice cream or even allow them a packet of crisps. After all, they have earned a little treat, haven’t they?! Well before you do that, perhaps think about the relationship with food that this promotes.

Tying eating practices in with emotions could lead to unhealthy choices for kids when they get older. Associating sugary treats with being good has the potential to encourage comfort eating in the future.

Children have many of the habits they continue throughout their lives set up in childhood, so it’s important that parents think about what they are promoting. Healthy eating is part of this and shouldn’t be seen as a punishment.

After all, if ice cream is a reward for being good, then conversely, broccoli is a punishment for not behaving well. This reinforces negative opinions of vegetables and other healthy snacks, which could lead kids to shy away from them.

One study suggests rewarding them with an edible treat could be setting them up with problems later in life. It found that using food as a prize or to regulate emotions can lead to unhealthy eating patterns and bad food choices.

Researchers from Bowling Green State University in Ohio highlighted how this type of eating practice may be convenient for parents, but it’s not always great for kids. The findings were based on a comprehensive questionnaire filled out by 192 mothers, reports Foodnavigator.com.

However, the study suggested that healthy diets can help prevent your little ones getting into bad eating habits. Perhaps try offering fruit-based deserts as treats every so often. It’s completely fine for your kids to want sugary treats but, with a bit of work, they may end up asking for fruit bowls as well!