How to avoid using food as a reward?

To avoid using food as a reward, parents should focus on learning alternative strategies for rewarding their children and dealing with negative emotions. Eating is undoubtedly an enjoyable experience, and sensory pleasure is experienced in response to liked tastes, textures, and smells, while the physiological relief from hunger brought about by eating is similarly rewarding. If food is used as a bribe or reward, or to induce happiness, eating can become pleasurable for other reasons. Many parents feel that by giving treats they are bringing happiness to their child through the pleasure of enjoying something yummy. Instead, parents can find other ways to make their child feel better, such as offering comfort and reassurance when they are upset, rather than using food. Ultimately, this means finding non-food related rewards and ways to regulate emotions, such as praise, affection, and quality time. Regularly using unhealthy foods as rewards or bribes means that these foods become part of your child's everyday diet, which is something to be avoided.

Rewards work best when they suit the occasion and are consistent. Instead of giving sweets in exchange for good behaviour on a train journey, why not try a colouring book or a comic to help stop kids from getting bored. In the car you could also play games like I spy, hangman, or do some drawing or listen to a story or their favourite songs. These problem habits are fixable by swapping food for time and attention. Non-food rewards work much better – such as stickers or games. They won't remember sweets in the future, but they will remember the time spent with you. If your kids say they’re hungry right before a meal, get them involved with cooking or laying the table.