From the School Nurse

Tips for resisting pester power

“I want, I want, I want!” Tips for resisting pester power

Children see huge amounts of advertising for unhealthy food and drinks, on television, the internet, social media and sometimes even through sports promotions. Did you know that research has shown that 76% of the supermarket lines aimed at children are unhealthy! By encouraging unhealthy eating, this advertising can affect kids’ health – now and later in life.

Try these tips to resist pester power:

Remember as a parent, it is quite OK for you to say “No”.
When you say ‘no’, mean it and explain to your child why they can’t have the item, for example, “It’s too expensive,” or “You bought something else recently”
Recognise how much they want it: “Yes, that does look nice”, while preparing them for disappointment: “But you know you probably won’t be able to have that because…”
Keep ‘treats’ for special occasions
You can try having one day of the week where your kids can choose a treat or consider a healthy treat if the kids make it through a shopping trip without the pester. But the reward doesn’t have to be all about food. Trips to the playground or pool, a bike or scooter ride for example, can work really well as incentives.
Give your kids extra attention while shopping, as this can cut down on them asking for things. For example, ask them to help you with spotting items that are on the shopping list
If your kids are old enough, explain to them how companies get people to buy their product. Point out things like cartoon characters, product positioning, use of colours etc. Make a family game of it when watching TV or out shopping.
Limit children’s small-screen time (including TV, internet and computer games) to less than two hours a day
Don’t have the TV on in the background at home – you can be sure your children will notice all the ads for unhealthy foods.
Tape your children’s favourite shows and fast-forward through the ads
Avoid eating junk food yourself

Reference - www.sahealth.sa.gov.au