#56: How do I get grandparents on board with body-positive parenting?
with Laura Hart, PhD
In this episode we discuss…
a status update on the podcast, and leslie and zoë’s lives amid the coronavirus pandemic
laura’s work in eating disorder prevention and program development
the Confident Body, Confident Child program and resources, for parents of 2-6 year olds
findings from a literature review on parenting and disordered eating/body dissatisfaction risk factors
the gap in interventions directed at parents and early childhood
the results of consensus-based adelphi guidelines on what parenting strategies are most effective at preventing disordered eating and body dissatisfaction
the lack of consensus around how parents should handle weighing themselves
why even very young children have internalized societal ideas about weight
laura’s answer to a question from a parent wondering how to get her child’s grandparents to support her efforts at creating a body-positive family culture
recommendations for language to use when talking to grandparents
how to talk to your child about different attitudes towards bodies/food they may be exposed to
why implementing body-positive parenting strategies in the day-to-day is simple, even when the mission is big
laura’s answer to the million dollar question
Researcher Dr. Laura Hart helps us answer a question from a parent wondering how to get her child’s grandparents to support her efforts at creating a body-positive family culture. We learn about the incredible research that Laura has done on preventing the onset of disordered eating and body image struggles — and what all parents and care providers can do to teach children about healthy eating patterns without negatively impacting body image.
Dr. Laura Hart is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Mental Health within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. Dr. Hart has been working in population mental health for over a decade. Her research focuses on developing, evaluating and disseminating training programs for the public to improve prevention, awareness and help-seeking for mental illness. Her research has been recognized with multiple awards, including a 2019 Society for Mental Health Research and Australian Rotary Health Research Impact Award, and a 2017 Australia Endeavour Award to spend 6-months working with Harvard University’s Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders in Boston, USA. She is currently working on two programs. Confident Body, Confident Child is a parenting program to promote body satisfaction, balanced eating patterns and physical activity in children aged 2-6 years. The teen Mental Health First Aid program is training course for secondary school students to learn how to assist a peer who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis, such as thinking about suicide. Laura is also a mum to two young boys who are constantly teaching her about child development.
Connect with Laura on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.
Resources mentioned or recommended:
research by Dr. Susan Paxton
the full bloom podcast episode #29 (skills for effective communication and talking to your kid’s doctors)