Table 2 Difficult daily situations for mothers in encouraging healthy energy balance–related behavior in their school-aged child
Setting and/or activity | Difficult everyday life situation Mothers find it difficult when/that their… |
|---|---|
Having dinner | |
(1) Just before dinner | Children complain about the kinds of foods the parents are cooking |
Children do not want to sit at the table when told | |
(2) At the dinner table | Children do not want to eat their vegetables |
Children’s preferences for vegetables change over time | |
Children eat extremely slowly | |
Children do not eat enough | |
Having breakfast | |
(3) Just before breakfast | Children have trouble getting out of bed |
Children do not want to sit at the table when told | |
(4) At the breakfast table | Children do not eat well in the morning |
Children eat slowly when there is not enough time | |
Eating candy and snacks | |
(5) At home | Children constantly want to eat candy/snacks |
Children eat candy/snacks when the parents are not around | |
(6) At school | Children are given unhealthy treats |
(7) Elsewhere | Children buy candy and snacks themselves |
Children are given candy and snacks by their friends | |
Children are given candy and snacks by their grandparents or other family members | |
Eating fruit | |
(8) At school | Children do not always eat their fruit or do not eat any fruit at all |
Children want the same unhealthy snacks as their classmates, rather than fruit | |
Physical activity | |
(9) Playing sports | Children do not want to participate in sports and are physically lazy |
Children are not able to choose a sport | |
(10) Playing outside | Children do not feel like playing outside |
Children play outside by themselves | |
Sedentary behavior | |
(11) Computer use at home | Children spend an excessive amount of time at the computer |
Children do not want to turn off their computer game when they are told to do so | |
(12) Computer use elsewhere | Children spend an excessive amount of time playing on a computer at their friend’s house |
(13) Watching television at home | Children spend an excessive amount of time watching television |
(14) Watching television elsewhere | Children watch an excessive amount of television at their friend’s house |