Has it ever occurred to you that you get washboard abs the same way you get a gut?

Both are attained by practice. What you do repeatedly affects the shape of your body – whether arduous ab workouts, or consuming more calories than your body needs.

What does this have to do with parenting?

It is commonly assumed that practice is the pathway to excellence. It is. But it is also the path to mediocrity and failure. What you practice, and how you practice determine which path you’re on.

Many young children are on the path to having a gut before they even lose their baby teeth. They’re practicing a pattern of nutrition and exercise that will result in obesity in all but a few children. Parents (or those who act in their stead) are the chief influences of early childhood nutrition and exercise. We are the ones who establish patterns of practice – patterns which can lead to health or disease.