Oklahoma Running Mom

Running in Oklahoma adds new meaning to the phrase "Hot Mama."

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Rewards

When I was at the Obesity Conference , one of the speakers said something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. He said that food should be used primarily for nourishment. It shouldn't be used as a reward, a way to show love, a punishment, etc. I thought it was interesting because it's so easy to use food as a reward (i.e. I've run four days this week, I deserve a huge chocolate shake. If you finish your homework, we can go out for pizza.). While I don't think rewarding yourself or your kids with food is always a bad thing, I do think it can quickly become a bad habit. For the past few weeks, I've been thinking about ways other than food to reward myself. I came up with a few (downloading a song from itunes, watching a favorite show without multitasking during it, a pedicure...). What do you think about rewards? What are some ways you reward yourself and/or your children? I'd love to hear your ideas.

4 comments:

Amy Y. said...

What- No rewarding chocolate shake?!? What's the point of life then?

Interesting post and a good practice. It is way to easy to eat out of self pity or for comfort when times get rough if food has been the dominate reward in your life. Instead of munching away, I like taking hot, mineral baths or buying a canvas to paint on.

Real Life Roberts said...

that is a good thought...I am so guilty of this!

Kids': later bed time, play a one-on-one game or a fun movie

ME: pedicure or a hot long shower is perfect!

Andrea said...

A reward that my kids love is playing a board game with mom or dad.

A reward for me is buying new clothes when my hard work and exercise has finally paid off and I can see the results!

institute of lraqi scholars & academician] said...

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