As you all know, I am passionate about teaching children about proper nutrition, health and wellness. Almost everyone I talk to agrees with the need to do so, but, as I have often said, knowing and doing are two different things!
William Bennett, former head of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Secretary of Education and former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, recently gave a speech in which he addressed how to teach children virtue. His comments are applicable to teaching children about anything and are based on the teachings of Aristotle.
According to Aristotle, we teach children three ways - based on habit, precept and example.
According to Aristotle, habituation at an early age makes all the difference. If you want kids to learn what work is, have them work. If you want them to understand responsibility, hold them responsible. And, in our case, if you want them to understand the importance of a healthy diet, make sure they eat one. He goes on to advise that the earlier you start, the better.
Precepts are the rules by which we live, and it is important to make those clear to children as well. From my standpoint, this means making health, wellness, exercise and good diet a part of your family's culture.
But the most important part is setting an example. That's how children know that we, as adults, take the precepts seriously. This is how children know that whatever we are trying to impart to them, whether it is the importance of a healthy diet, or the value of telling the truth, is not a game, not just talk, but rather something the adults in their lives take seriously.
So, the advice for parents who want the best for their children is as follows: