Combating Pester Power

Most parents just learn to say no when children are pestering for the unhealthy food overwhelmingly displayed at supermarket checkouts.  However, it's hard to say no all the time.  The Parents' Jury has a number of tips for tackling pester power in the supermarket.  Got some more to share with us?  We'd love to hear from you.

Tips for Tackling Pester Power

• Set clear boundaries with your kids. Talk about which foods they can eat at anytime, and which foods are okay only ‘sometimes’.
• Talk to your kids about food openly and honestly, and take their questions seriously.
• Look at nutrition labels on packaged and processed food with your children. Talk about the ingredients and what they should look out for. Generate awareness about where food comes from.
• Don’t give in on the food boundaries you set. Persistent nagging is a powerful tool for kids to get what they want, hence the term ‘pester power’. If you give in to your child after they ask for something 10 times, then they know it takes 10 times to get what they want.
• Experiment with new foods, and explore healthy new options. Let your kids take part in the grocery shopping and allow them pick out some of the food to take home. For example, let your kids pick which fruit and vegetables you buy.
• Be a good role model. Buy and prepare the foods that you want your children to eat. Involve your kids in the cooking process by giving them simple tasks such as measuring, washing vegetables, setting timers, and stirring. At mealtimes, eat together as a family.
• Talk about advertising with your kids. The Parents' Jury supports the idea of educating children to learn about advertising, however the most vulnerable children are those under 8 years old who simply don’t have the cognitive ability to understand the intent of advertising. All the education in the world can’t override their biology.

More Tips from our Parents

Tips from Michelle Malone:

• Only take little ones shopping on a full belly
• Offer fruit rewards
• Talk at your child's level, and reward for great behaviour and fantastic food choices
• Don't introduce lollies etc. too soon - kids don't know they exist until we introduce them or they get old enough to know better
• Be strong!