Can you see it a baby is trying to walk for the first time? Not many babies walk perfectly the first time. It is a time where they learn to stand and wobble and then fall down. It is a time for many tears. If it is indoors often the child cries because they are frightened rather than having hurt themselves.

The child will cry for a time but soon determination will cause them to try again and again until they walk.

But there is another side to this story. Normally within twenty seconds of the child falling over an adult will have reach out to get them and try and comfort the child. That is great the child needs to be reassured of what happened, to show that it was ok to try to walk and fall.

But often the adult change the rules because not only will they try and reassure the child but they will look for something to give them to eat or drink, a cookie or a bottle of milk.

Now what lessons has this young child learnt during this short time that they cried?

*Anytime you have a problem or fall then you stop the emotions with food.

*It isn't OK to cry. A piece of food is to replace the feelings quickly.

*Look for the emotions found in food than in the pain felt for even a short time.

*Always eat your emotions never show them.

If no food had been given then the child would have been comforted by the hug from the adult. The pain would have eased very shortly and the crying still stopped. But already the child is being taught how to eat their feelings.

And even worse if they were given a cookie then they have been given a taste for sugar and the cravings that come by that.

What we are taught as children about food normally is what we pass onto our children. Why because it is all we know unless we have had lessons in food and nutrition.

We need to stop and think about what we do and why we do what we do with food.

Do we use it to bribe our children?

Do we use it to comfort our children?

Do we use it to encourage our children to hide their feelings?

Learn about what you do and break the cycle making sure that you child never eats their feelings.