By The American Red Cross Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program 

My mom was 28½ weeks pregnant when her water broke. She was just shy of 30 weeks when she gave birth to me. I was 3lbs, 6oz. After the initial shock, she was overcome with worry about me being “behind” other infants my age. So, she took extra care to ensure that I received healthy nutrition and intellectual stimulation. Having a premature baby obviously comes with added stress. Nonetheless, I think all new moms experience moments of fear and doubt just like my mom did.

Inspired by Mom’s Healthy Choices

Today, my mom won’t flinch when she tells you I was born 10 weeks early. According to her, I had places to go, things to accomplish, a life to live, and I wanted out. Being born prematurely is one of the reasons I became interested in child nutrition and decided to go back to school to pursue a master’s degree in nutritional science with hopes of becoming a registered dietitian. I truly believe that some of the things my mom did when I was young helped me get where I am today. So, I reached out to her for advice that might be useful to other moms as well.

Tip #1 From Mom

“If you are asking your child to eat healthy, make sure you are doing it, too. You cannot expect a child to eat fruits and vegetables when you are eating a candy bar.” 

Kids love to copy their parents. Eat as a family and try new nutritious foods together. These could be whole grains, fruits, vegetables, or other healthy foods. You can also make food fun. Try creating numbers or letters with grapes, or a heart-shaped peanut butter sandwich. Have your children help you prepare meals and snacks, too. It will encourage creativity and help develop their fine motor skills.

Tip #2 From Mom

“Whether you are at home, running errands or eating a meal, talk to your child. If you are walking around the house with your infant or toddler, point things out. Clock … tick tock, Apple… red, Kitchen … eat. Count the number of peas on their plate.”

At birth, the number of synapses per neuron in your child’s brain is 2,500. By ages 2 to 3, it’s about 15,000 – a staggering amount of growth.  To encourage this growth, use everyday activities as an opportunity to encourage learning.

Tip #3 From Mom

“Encourage making wise choices at a young age. Pick out two things, whether that’s food or what outfit they are going to wear that day, and ask your child, ‘Do you want this or that?’”

This is a great way to help your children eat healthy. Empowering them by allowing them to make their own decision will hopefully keep their mind off of eating French fries and get them excited about choosing between carrots or green beans. When they make a good choice, let them know it and tell them why it’s a good choice. “Wow, carrots are a great choice -- do you know why they are good for you? They give you superhuman-powered eyes.” Then next time your child will want to eat carrots. Because, let’s be honest, who can pass up superhuman-powered eyes?

These few tips kept me healthy and happy as a child and served as an inspiration for my career in nutrition. Cheers to all of the parents and other caregivers who might feel a little overwhelmed or scared, yet still raise healthy, independent children with a little help and a lot of love.