Welcome, my stressed friend.
Yes, parents are stressed. We're frustrated dealing with the daily juggle of work, relationships and then lay awake worrying about how to help our children grow up to be healthy
(let alone all that conflicting health information & to-do lists)
and just want some peace, to sleep better, knowing that we are modeling what our family needs for better health,
even if we have struggled with our own habits, weight & body image.
You are not alone!
The stress stops hereWhat works for your family?
When you're living in fear of overweight, obesity, and now eating disorders, the long-term consequences, the right-now shame and guilt, it's overwhelming to figure out how to help your own family, isn't it?
You can find all the advice in the world about what to feed your kids... and take in everything your doctor suggests
(if they consider your child overweight enough to recommend anything),
but how do you figure out what will work for YOUR family?
It's frustrating and confusing and leaves you feeling like you're fighting them all the time.
If only it were as easy...
As easy as following the doctor’s directions or all the advice you find online to... wait for it...
Eat Less, Move More. (Sigh. Not this again...)
But it’s not the “bad” food, it’s not the lack of moving, it’s not that there’s another test for the doctor to run.
In fact, the strict eat less/move more creates:
- stress
-
diets
-
food rules
-
sneaking foods
-
arguing about “mandatory-fun” exercise
- shame
It focuses on what is wrong with you, your child, your and family.
And shame doesn't make anyone healthier.
Here’s what you need to hear:
Your child's weight does not mean there is something wrong with them, you or your family. It is not your fault.
It's not their fault either.
And there’s no ONE elusive answer, diet, or motivation that you’ve overlooked.
(PS - You don’t have to be at a certain weight to make changes either!)
The real answer: it’s about focusing on what works for the whole family
You’re not going to see changes in your kids' health and eating patterns without starting with YOU
(It’s not your fault that your focus may not have been in the right place. No one talks about this stuff!)
Everyone balks when I say, "I do not work with children to change their weight and eating habits." Parents want change, they want to fix it.
But there is nothing to fix. Focusing on the child creates food fights, restriction and shame. Those are not healthy habits.
Instead, I help adults focus on understanding and then decreasing the stress that they are experiencing about creating healthy habits.
True, sustainable change for children starts with modeling the emotional regulation and healthy relationships with food and body that we so want for them.
When parents receive the help they so desperately need, stress decreases at home.We create an environment where kids can thrive. We see a ripple through the whole family.
Imagine when you will have...
- Consistency in your approach (ooh, whining & fussing will not be your kryptonite!)
- Flexibility to handle exceptions
- No more food fights
- Confidence that you're on the right path
- Lighten the heavy burden of guilt
- A healthier relationship with food: for you and your family
- More connection with your children
- Focus on relationships more than the number on the scale
- Emotions that don't drive you to snack
- Peaceful sleep knowing you're doing exactly what you need to do
- A PLAN
But Doing This As A Parent Isn’t Easy!
Sure, you could go and Google weight loss for kids, find Pinterest recipes, get all sorts of input on Facebook about how your kid doesn’t “look overweight,” isn’t “that overweight” and have all sorts of doubts…
...but as someone who has worked with families for 20 years, I understand that the wealth of information isn’t helpful. It’s overwhelming.
More input from different voices is confusing.
It makes you want to throw in the towel because they aren't living your life.
And my goodness, who has time to do all that internet searching and taste-testing from Pinterest? There’s no energy for that!
All the information in the world will not help you become the role model your child needs to find a healthy weight.
What You Really Need...
is to understand that all your prior struggles have nothing to do with your ability to make real, lasting change. And a plan to make it happen:
You CAN become the role model for your family’s health.
You CAN create healthier habits
You CAN lighten the burden weight-focus and health-management has had in your life
You CAN strengthen your relationships and bring your family closer together
You CAN create a path and then invite your family to join
Introducing: Family in Focus
The Comprehensive Program for Raising a Healthy, Whole Family
This is the only program that empowers parents to become the role model for health at home by creating changes from the inside out.
You'll learn how to understand your own body image, eating habits and relationship with food.
You will learn about the power that emotions have in the habits you practice and the ones you want to create.
You will decrease the frustration and worry to have a calmer approach to health.
You will develop a deeper understanding of why your kids' motivation varies so much.
You will learn to understand what works for your family and why other things just don't work.
You will feel better about your role in leading the family to health.
You will learn tools to help you develop the confidence to say, "I'm leading the way."
Because you, my friend, will know where you're going and have a plan for success.
Now is the time to shift focus from finding what is broken and instead build a healthier family.
You're invited to start now
Hi! I'm Wendy
Over the past 20 years, a big part of the fun of being a pediatrician is watching families grow: new family members, new skills, patients becoming taller than their doctor! I’ve also watched kids grow on the scale and the growth curves. At first, the concern was that we needed to define and identify obesity so that we could treat it. And then, it became clear: the standard medical prevention and treatment weren’t making a difference for a large number of the families.
At the beginning of every visit, I would plot the child’s growth on a chart, and look at the curve. Parents would hold their breath…. “What’s the news?” I could hear it in their anxious voices, “What kind of parent am I being for my child?”
One day the mom of a 6 year-old who had always been over the 85% for body mass index (and growing consistently), asked me why I wasn’t having the “BMI chat” with her. I asked, “Why? What are your concerns?” We had already covered that she was eating a variety of whole foods at meals with her family, and lots of activity over the course of the day. There were no “red flags.” Mom came to tears. “You’re the first doctor who hasn’t told me I was doing it all wrong because she’s still “Overweight”.”
The child was thriving. The mother was struggling because she thought she was doing it all wrong.
Mom was carrying the weight of all the things she thought she was doing wrong.
Let's get rid of those burdens, the drama, about all the stuff we've been doing wrong. Let's start making it right for our families.
What You'll Get When You Join
- Learn new tools and -- better than any educational program -- receive support in applying them to your unique life & family
- Create healthier habits for you
- Create self-confidence in leading your family
- Share your new habits with the whole family
- Recognize which parts of family health are within your control - and which are not
- Learn how to cut through stress in daily practices that don't require you to be a zenmaster
- Redefine your relationship with food and with each other
- Become more connected with your children, partner, family members
- Gain more time as you worry less about your family’s health
- Connect with and understand what drives you to overeat, so understand what your kids are experiencing
- Cultivate whole family lasting health, from the inside out!
The Key to Helping Your Family Be Healthy is to ...
Start with You
Parenting is hard... we are stressed! And now we are responsible for our kids' health? The first step is to calm our stress response so we can bring presence back to parenting.
Focus on Practice, Not Numbers
I know... society (and our healthcare team) focuses on metrics for outcomes. When we shift to focusing on the critical inside processes that creates the practices we want to see, healthy habits emerge.
Do It Together
You will get tools to help all family members achieve find their healthy weight & lifestyle.
Have a PLAN
You will receive support to design a customized plan - made by you, for you, for your family. You'll learn how to create a plan with love, and then consistently follow it without fear of meltdowns.
Build Stronger Relationships
Weight loss means nothing if it creates a battles with yourself & those you love. Learn what works to build lifelong, stronger relationships.
What Would It Be Worth To:
- Not lay awake at night worrying about your child’s weight?
- Not stress over what you’re serving for meals?
- Not have to make a separate meal for everyone in the family?
- Not have endless trips for weight checks and have the BMI chat over and over and over again?
- Avoid insulin resistance for you and your child?
- Stop the endless cycles of yo-yo diets?
- Support your child's body image
- Not have your child live the cycle of struggle that you have had?
- Stop wasting money on the latest/greatest health fad?
- Address weight concerns for your whole family?
- Not have to figure out time off, co-pays and transportation for medical consults?
- Transform yourself without guilt?
Introducing:
The Family in Focus® Signature Program
Anonymous, Mom of 2
“I am working through a resurgence of disordered eating with [my daughter], that showed up originally last year and returned after [her father] and I separated.
I am approaching the conversations from the perspective I learned from you in the beginning stages of your journey with this program, and they have made ALL of the difference in the world to help me recognize behaviors and communicate with (my daughter) about the beliefs leading to them.
It is powerful, powerful work you are doing. Thank you!”
Lindsey, Mom of 3
"THANK YOU! For so long now I have felt like I had to control and fix everything and if it wasn't working I must be failing... what a heavy feeling. I entered this course to help essentially one child who struggles with weight but I've learned the weight struggle was mine. Her weight doesn't hold her back.... it was me. I was thinking by fixing this I could protect her from being made fun of or help her to look a certain way.... these were never her insecurities.... they were mine. It doesn't seem so overwhelming and hard now.
In fact, in such a short time I've gained so much from your course beyond food and weight. It makes me a better person, Mom, and wife all around."
