Grow Right tips for healthy growth in children

Grow Right

As a mother, I have always had a tough time raising my son Viraj. He isn’t just fun-loving and adorable but also notorious and stubborn. Taking care of his diet has been a struggle for me. Be it milk, khichdi, fruits, or introducing him to something new – there has never been a day that I have been able to feed him in peace. I would make him watch peppy nursery rhymes on YouTube, tell stories to thrill him and would put a piece of fruit into his mouth to feed him while he was distracted.

Grow Right

And now as he has turned 4, the struggle has gone a few notches higher. While I am constantly worried about his growth and nutrition, I am running out of ways to make him eat healthily. I search online, take feedback from friends and try all sorts of ideas to make my child eat right. Recently, I was invited to be a part of the launch of Grow Right Campaign by Abbott to support parents in their parenting journey and help children grow to their potential. And to say the least, I am thankful and relieved!

Meet-up with the child growth experts

Grow Right
Grow Right

The event for the launch of Grow Right initiative was a rather educative one, bringing together India’s first-ever Grow Right guild. The panel had child specialist Dr. Mukesh Sanklecha, pediatrician Dr. Samir Dalwai, and renowned nutritionist Dr. Dharini Krishnan. The meet-up was graced by celebrity Lara Dutta sharing her experiences of being a mother to a toddler. Together the panel discussed how important it is for the child to have a balanced diet and nutrition for healthy growth and development. The discussion also covered issues of behavioral patterns as well as emotional and mental growth.

I gathered a few points which we as parents must note and take into consideration:

Grow Right

1. It’s important to teach kids what is the right time and the right food to eat. You have to decide what your child should eat but let your child decide how much to eat.
2. Don’t force your kid to finish the entire plate.
3. Eating or finishing a meal in front of the TV should be avoided. You should allow them screen time but keep a time limit for the same.

4. You are their role model. Do what you want them to learn. If you are eating with a mobile on or watching TV or Netflix, they will surely follow the same.

5. Good parenting is not only saying yes to every demand of your kid. There are times when you have to say no to things like junk food and excessive screen time.
6. It is important to add 4 things to a kid’s meal – green vegetables, protein, fruits, and dairy products.

7. Importance of playing outdoor games – let them play in sand, mud, water and allow them to enjoy their childhood rather giving them gadgets and making them sit at home.

Grow Right tips

Grow Right

The Grow Right guidelines unveiled by Abbott is an initiative that has tips across four growth parameters of a child – nutrition, play, nurture, and impact. As part of the Grow Right initiative by Abbott, the tips understand a mom’s concerns about her child’s growth and nutrition and provides sound solutions that help in the current world. From the child’s eating pattern, their behavioral changes, playtime, nutrition for their growth and development – the guidelines cover a series of concerns that is common to all moms. In a world where too much information has spoilt us for choice, the Grow Right guidelines provide credible and reliable information to enrich, nourish and grow our children right.

Dr. Dharini Krishnan mentioned, “These tips aim to help parents to find an effective and right way to engage with kids and help them to Grow Right”.

Guidelines of Grow Right

Grow Right

The Guidelines has laid down tips in the following areas:

Right Nutrition guidelines to help parents better manage mealtimes.

Right Play addresses concerns about inadequate playtime and unchecked screen time

Right Nurture guidelines help with behavioral changes in children.

Right Impact to let parents understand if their children are growing right.

What I learnt regarding screen time for children

I have resorted to giving Viraj access to my phone a lot of times so that he can watch his favorite cartoon characters on the screen and I can feed him on the side. But as the Grow Right event progressed and talked about screen time being a harmful habit for a child’s mental growth – I learned how wrong I have been doing all this time. The event threw light on the problems of malnutrition, eating and behavioral patterns of toddlers citing situations where the children refuse to eat or fail to understand the sensations of hunger and satiety. It emphasized on how screen time of children should be replaced with structured and unstructured playtime to make space for healthy growth and brain development. Further, it also emphasized on ways where mothers can introduce new food items, helping them grow right and inculcate healthy habits.

Attending the Abbott Grow Right event has made me aware of the mistakes I have been making subconsciously. It has also provided me with guidelines so that I can be sure of the right growth of my child.

Also Read: Check Nutrient Level with Pediasure

© Ruchi Verma

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Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Ruchie Verma (WigglingPen) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Disclaimer – This article is an advisory piece. Before you manipulate your diet habit kindly consult a medical practitioner or nutritionist.

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Ruchi Verma

Certified parenting teen practitioner, multiple Award winner, mother of two active kids believes in sharing the right source of information to readers which could help them in every possible way!!

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71 Comments

  1. This is a great informative post that you have shared here. Grow right is the best way for healthy development.

  2. Thanks ,itni acchi information k liye ??

  3. Grow Right Initiative seems like a great program. I hope more moms get involve on this.

  4. I’m right there with you! I can really relate to this post. I have two boys who are picky eaters and it’s so hard to get them the nutrition they need

    1. It’s really tough to make these picky eaters engage and feed..I am happy found Pediasure helping me a lot!!

  5. It seems like you learned a lot from the presentation! Kids really do watch adults every move and pick up all the behaviors that we think of as normal. When they copy, it is always a shock as it is a reflection of our self!
    I looked up khichdi and have never made it before. I will look into the recipe and try it out!

    1. Glad you hopped here …Khichdi is an easiest recipe..It’s yummy too …do try that !!

  6. I like the no-TV while eating rule. It’s good to instill in the kids that a meal is an important time to eat and connect.

    1. Yes..this is mandatory rule at my home …

  7. my son used to eat with an ipad or phone because it was easier that way. I can feed them anything while they are distracted. Now that I enforced no electronics during meal time, he can see anything. I even diced the vegetables so small, and he can still see them. lol. But thank you for these reminders. It is important that our kids grow healthy.

    1. Yes!! Only we can reduce their screen time while eating and this is really important

  8. I think every parent can relate to this post. It’s so hard to get my kid to eat anything other than mac and cheese or chicken nuggets. Now that he is 8, he is thankfully expanding his pallet and more open to try new things. These are all excellent tips!

    1. I am happy that you liked the post!! Thanks for visiting

  9. This is great information. Thanks for sharing!

  10. I absolutely love this article! We need to raise our children to be kind and smart and to work well with others~

    1. Thanks for visiting here

  11. Growing right from an early age is the best thing nowadays. It all begins at home. Are you stated a balanced diet and nutrition is more important than ever. Thank you for sharing that amazing post.

    1. Thanks for shopping here ..Glad you liked it

  12. This is a great campaign. I am a grandmother to a 3 year old boy who is a picky eater. I have to do more of the things you’ve mentioned here. This is totally different from the time when my children were toddlers. They ate whatever I gave them. But for my grandson, it is the other way around! He would not even touch the veggies and calls them “yucky food.”

    1. I am glad that you found this post helpful. Every kid acts differently!! Thanks for visiting ma’am!!

  13. Great tips. I will share this with my friends.

  14. These tips are great for helping children to eat right and grow up healthy. Good nutrition is so important.

  15. I’ve always tried to give healthy foods to my children and I am completely agreed to your point that doesn’t force children to finish their full plate. This post is quite useful for parents.

  16. Such a very informative and helpful article to read. I’ve learned a lot from this and will definitely following those tips and advices.

  17. This was an interesting read even thought I don’t have kids at the moment. It’s so important to consider these tips for helping a child grow healthier, great post!

  18. Ensuring that your little ones grow up healthy and strong is definitely a concern for parents. These are great tips for helping little ones grow!

  19. Keeping the kids healthy and growing is half of parenting. This is an awesome checklist to make sure that happens!

  20. I am glad I saw this post. My sister and I were just trying to find something like this.

  21. Tiffany La Forge-Grau

    That is a parenting must! I need to get my brother this guide; he has 2 little ones!

  22. Eating right is one of the biggest concerns of a mother. You have shared some great information through this post which I will need pretty soon bookmarking this post.

  23. I think technology makes it more harder to raise up a child. This Grow Right tips by Abbott is a must for every parent.

  24. screen time association with food has many bad impacts. Interesting read Ruchie and helpful tips too

  25. Great tips and I loved the post. Keep an eye on kids growth is very important. These tips will help to solve the purpose.

  26. It is always good to gather more knowledge about raising right and most importantly healthy kids. Thank you for sharing this post.
    Would look forward for more updates.

  27. Had a great time reading this blog and appreciating how well researched it is.

  28. This is a very informative post, Ruchie. My little one is one such pesky eater and we have learned that it is necessary to discipline his eating habits. Small bites work, but not eating at all does not. Also, his screen time has reduced considerably with diverting his time towards drawing and other activities.

    1. Rohan actually it’s important for us to make sure how we can reduce their screen time and engage them in creative activity!!

  29. This event surely looks like really an insightful one buddy, thanks for sharing the Jist, it is quite helpful

  30. I wish I knew about this when I was young. I’m vertically challenged (4’11). Thank you for this tips! Will be sharing this!

  31. I was there at this conference. It was very informational. The pediatrician and the nutritionalist gave quite a lot of in information

  32. Great tips here! I practice a lot of these guidelines with my two boys already, and very interesting to learn about the rest as well.

  33. I was there at this conference. Had alot of information for toddler from the pediatrician and the nutritionist

  34. I believe, all parents must follow the Grow Right guidelines to ensure overall healthy growth of kids, both physical and mental. This is an informative post and a great initiative from Abbot!

    1. Thanks for visiting and I am glad you liked this!!

  35. Seems like it was a very informative event. Good to read all these tips.

  36. That’s a very informative and helpful post for all the parents for their kids. Good to read the tips

  37. I think the most important thing is that kids are physically active and creative on a daily basis.

  38. this is what all moms want – right growth for kids. This must have been a great event.

  39. Helping children get the proper nutrition from a very young age is important for their growth!

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  40. Every mom needs to read this informative article ! The tips are helpful a lot ! I will definitely share this post with my friends

  41. This looks like a very insightful event, growing right is a crucial thing and ofter parents fail to understand the severity. Screen time during meal is a big no at our place

  42. Its such an informed and informative article and the event must be a learning experience ; im glad you shared your knowledge and insight. With us; i so agree that screen time should be controlled especially while eating & more play

  43. One of the challenges we all as parents face is ensuring that our kids eat right. These are some really important guidelines. The best is, of course, walking the talk as parents.

  44. Great tips. This was indeed an informative session. I gained many tips too that is now helping me with my fussy eaters.

  45. These are very good tips to grow right
    .Kids are very sensitive to right nutrition

  46. I am guilty of giving more than enough screen time to my daughter and I am wrong in doing so. This post shedded on light on an essential topic.

  47. Every parent is concerned for the right kind of growth for their children. Product like Pediasure comes to the rescue to the concerned parents.

  48. Just a statement open for discussion, I know you say screen time is a bad thing. But I have experienced quite the opposit with my little one. He is almost 5, very good at multi-tasking. Teachers at his school are really interested in what after-hour activities we do because he is way ahead of the kids in his class. I believe that screen time – should be applied in the correct manner with the correct content.

  49. The screening time is really a great ptoblem with my kids too. They tend to eat food while watching and that’s the main issue

  50. This is great post and yes the event was really insightful and loved it. PediaSure is really tasty and healthy drink for kids

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