Little Pitchers...

by Leslie Aronson — May 27, 2008

It's a basic fact of parenting that kids mimic what their parents do. Kids tend to like what their parents like and share their dislikes as well, at least when they're very small. A study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia shows that children with mothers who consumed vegetables while pregnant and breast-feeding had a greater preference for the vegetables their mothers ate than those with mothers who ate fewer vegetables. Flavors from the consumed food can be transmitted to the baby through the amniotic fluid, thus giving children a greater predilection to certain foods.

And while it might seem obvious, much the same could be said for children with active parents and those without. Children living in an environment conducive to a healthy lifestyle will grow up with better health habits than those who don't. Children with parents who exercise and take care of themselves will, at the very least, have a standard of activity to which they can look. Making exercise and regular activity part of the family routine will do children an infinite amount of good, so even if you don't feel like going on that bike ride for yourself, do it so you can set an example for your kids.