Teach Your Child Healthy Eating Habits

  By Attipas Australia's founder and mum-of-three, Caroline Africh  

Teach Your Child Healthy Eating Habits

Healthy eating habits may be a trendy issue, but the emphasis is on young adults and the older generation. Meanwhile, an unhealthy eating lifestyle mostly starts at an early age. So, it is important that we teach children healthy eating habits.

Poor health caused by unhealthy eating habits in childhood can continue into adulthood and put your child at risk for several chronic health conditions such as childhood obesity. For example, children with unhealthy weight gain can become depressed and have a poor self-image and low self-esteem.

CHECK OUT THESE HEALTHY EATING HABITS THAT CAN BENEFIT YOUR CHILD:

These tips can help you teach your kids eating habits that will equip them for a healthy future and a positive relationship with food.

1.Help them make healthy food choices instead of commanding them. Make it your goal to have a variety of nutritious healthy foods, fresh fruit, and healthy snacks available at home. This practice will encourage healthy eating habits and help your children learn how to have a healthy relationship with food and good eating habits.

• Be a good role model by eating healthy foods yourself and limiting the number of unhealthy foods at home.

  
  

• For instance, instead of serving meals with sugary drinks, try serving meals with water or fresh homemade juice.

  
  

 2.Avoid eating out or having takeout food too often. With a busy work schedule, taking care of kids, and a home, it seems almost impossible to cook a home-cooked meal often.

•  But make it a priority to cook family meals at home as much as possible, so you don’t have to worry about what goes into the food.

  
  

• It also helps to build good healthy habits of cooking at home with younger children, so they don’t grow up with the habit of picking up junk food or fast food.

  
  

 3.Get kids involved shop and cook with them. Take your children along when food shopping. Teach kids the benefits of having healthy food options. These actions give them a perfect opportunity to learn about healthy nutrition and meal planning.

• Not only will this give them a sense of achievement but also, even picky eaters are generally more willing to eat foods that they help prepare.

  
  

4.Have regular meals together. Always make it a point to eat dinner with your kids. Use family meal time to have friendly conversations. Family meals are a chance for parents to introduce kids to new foods and to be role models for healthy eating.

5.Try not to use food as a punishment. Avoid punishing your children by denying food from them. This can lead your children to fear that they will not get sufficient food.

• In effect, you then cause them to worry, and your children may try to eat whenever they get an opportunity — leading to unhealthy relationships with food.

  
  

6.Plan for healthy foods outside of the home. Know the meal plan at school for your child's diet. Find out if they can have a healthy option or pack their lunch and include a variety of foods. Also, select healthier choices when you do eat out.

7.Avoid eating while watching TV. Watching TV while eating slows the metabolic rate, causing the food to digest slowly and fat to burn slowly. Eating while watching TV makes it difficult to pay attention to feelings of fullness and may lead to overeating. Eat dinner together at the dinner table and turn off the TV, even if the whole family isn't present.

• If your child eats while watching television, this may cause the child to have low metabolism. Try to eat only in the dining room or kitchen.

  
  

These healthy eating habits will positively affect your children’s health and lifestyle throughout their adult life. The sooner you introduce wholesome, nutritious choices into a child's diet, the easier they'll be able to develop a healthy relationship with food that can last them a lifetime

Are you struggling to get shoes on your baby?

The whole idea behind Attipas baby shoes is that less is more. Goodbye to heavy shoes and socks, and hello to lightweight, practical, flexible shoe-socks that let babies 'feel' the ground.

Attipas slip on like a sock, saving you time as you rush your toddler out the front door. That’s why our founder, Caroline Africh, originally brought Attipas to Australia and our entire range can easily replace all the other shoes and socks in your baby's cupboard. 

As Seen at the Oscars!

Attipas baby shoes made it to the Oscars! Founder Caroline Africh and her team were flown to Hollywood where they handed out Attipas baby shoes to celebrities including Zoe Saldana, who is a huge fan.

Caroline also made an appearance on the Today Show where she talks to David Campbell and Sonia Kruger about getting close and personal with Ryan Gosling!

While other brands may sell 'first shoes' for babies, Attipas are the only baby shoes that successfully mimic barefoot walking.  And the evidence is clear.

Attipas baby shoes come in six sizes and can be worn from 6 months to 4 years. They start from $39.95 and are sold on the Attipas Australia website.

Attipas baby shoes come in over 50 colours in an identical design that slips on like a sock but supports like a shoe. Bestsellers include Attipas Sneaker: cute, sneaker-style shoes that look like traditional Converse; Attipas Rainbow: unisex, bright and bold stripes that match any outfit; Attipas Attibebe: soft pastel tones, a favourite for girls; and Attipas Marine: cute nautical themed pre-walkers, a favourite for boys.

Our founder, Caroline Africh, discovered Attipas baby shoes on a holiday in Japan and knew she needed to bring them to Australia. As a mum of a then 1 year old, Caroline had unique insight into exactly what a toddler should be wearing on their feet while learning to walk. An avid fan of the barefoot movement, Caroline says: “As a new mother, I was very conscious about selecting the right first shoes for my baby.”

“The biggest mistake parents make when choosing first baby shoes is that they think they need to be structured,” Caroline says. “The reality is that science really speaks for itself. Being barefoot helps baby develop brain function and the barefoot movement has been massive for decades. When choosing suitable pre-walking shoes for babies, parents need to select something that mimics the concept of walking barefoot.” 

Long before Caroline founded Attipas Australia, she had two very successful careers—first as an auditor, and then secondly as a project manager.

Caroline began her career as an IT auditor in the early 2000's, working for PwC Sydney as a graduate. Not feeling as though she 'fit in', it was then she realised her aspirations to become an entrepreneur — which she would later fulfil by bringing Attipas shoes to Australia.

At age 25, Caroline packed her bags and moved to London, and just like that, she worked her way up the chain to become a Project Manager in an investment bank. Over the next five years, she managed several large-scale IT implementations however still felt like something was 'missing' from her work life.

In her early 30s, Caroline had a baby and moved back to Sydney. After nearly a decade working in corporate, Caroline wanted to start her own business and become an entrepreneur. As a new mum conscious about baby foot health, Caroline discovered Attipas shoes in Japan and knew it was her inner calling to bring Attipas to Australia. We are proud to say: she succeeded. As seen on the Today Show, at the Oscars and on Shark Tank, over 500k pairs have been sold since Attipas arrived in 2012.

Caroline's 'less-is-more' approach to toddler foot health has been adopted by hundreds of thousands of Australian parents, who use Attipas on their babies every single day.

“Caroline's 'less-is-more' approach to toddler foot health has been adopted by hundreds of thousands of Australia parents, who use Attipas on their babies every single day.”

What our customers are saying about us...

“We bought these for our then 11 month old and they are the perfect baby shoe! They protect little toes, are easy to walk in even for an early walker, and the sock-style means she can't pull them off. She's one now and loves them so much that she sometimes brings them to you to put them on for her, even inside! Very glad we bought the next size up as well.” — Victoria

All Attipas Products are tailor-made for environmentally conscious families.

We care about making our products safe and healthy for you—and our planet. That’s why our products are non-toxic and contain no formaldehyde or BPA.  They are also vegan-friendly and not tested on animals. We also keep packaging to a minimum and use cardboard over plastics where possible.

Anyone can have allergies. If your baby or toddler has any discomfort or a rash develops, discontinue use and consult your doctor.