Putting a stop to pester power

Break the nagging cycle by showing children how advertising affects their eating habits

I have often been astonished at the determination and visual recall shown by children when it comes to finding a new must-have food item they have seen on television. They head straight for the junk-food aisle and return with some combination of high-sugar and high-fat packaged in a drop-dead gorgeous box usually featuring a cartoon character. If only they showed as much determination about cleaning up their room!

There is much debate at the moment about how much advertising should be allowed on TV during children’s viewing times and the voluntary code restricting advertising of unhealthy foods to children has been in effect since 2004.

But why leave it to the bureaucrats? Parents can do a lot at home to prevent children being used as marketing tools by advertisers. Here are some tips:

If your child is old enough to get a thinly veiled marketing message, they are old enough to understand the tricks advertisers use to pull them in. Watch the ads with your child and talk to them about what they like about the ad and the product. Explain that even though the ad shows real fruit, it can mean it’s just fruit-flavoured. And ask them why the commercial uses their favourite cartoons and animated figures? Could it be that by associating them with the food, the child will feel good about the food regardless of what is in it?
Talk to your child about nutrition in its most basic terms. A study in 2005 found that 75% of food ads during children’s TV times were for foods high in fat and/or sugar. So it is important they learn to make the distinction. But don’t use “good” or “bad” to describe food. Instead, talk about “everyday”, “sometimes” and “occasional” food. Explain to them that in 2005 McDonalds spent $21.4 million on advertising when a total of $4.7 million was spent altogether on advertising vegetables.
Realise that advertising companies pay psychologists and researchers to give them an in-depth knowledge into what makes your child tick. Your child may not know when she is being manipulated but it’s not hard for you to work out.
It’s common knowledge that advertisers rely on children’s second-hand buying power, or “pester power”, to sell their products. So if you want to play into their hands, then by all means allow your child to nag you into buying things. Mr you could try saying “no”.
If your child wants to try a new brand of cereal or potato chips, then listen to their reasoning and make sure they know they are being taken seriously. Look at the product together in the supermarket and help them work out whether it is an “everyday”, a “sometimes” or an “occasional” food. Point out things like the fat and sugar content, and whether it contains preservatives or colourings. Then tell your child you will have a think about it. This sends the message that they can’t nag you into buying something but that you are listening to them.
Next time you do the shopping, buy the food, if you think it is okay, and make sure your child knows you have given it some thought and help them realise which category it falls under. Perhaps it’s potato chips, and they can have one pack a day, or maybe it’s just a weekend treat.
You have just taught your child to think for themselves and be cautious about what advertising tells them. And do follow it up in a week’s time and ask them if they are enjoying the food. often they are not, or it is no different to the other brand they were already eating, so use this as an opportunity to talk about how real ads are and the effects of packaging and advertising on people’s decisions.
If your child is too small to understand all this, then you need to remember that you are the boss and you’re not going to give in to tantrums. Say “no” and mean it, which means never buying something your child has nagged you for. Stick to your guns and you’ll never be nagged again, because your child has never seen it work and will give up really easily.