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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Pester power refers to children’s ability to nag parents to purchase food or other items they might not otherwise buy. Marketing to children is all about creating pester power because advertisers know what a powerful force it can be. Babies as young as 6 months old can form mental images of corporate logos and mascots. Brand loyalties begin as early as age 2. By the time children enter kindergarten most recognize the Golden Arches and know what they stand for.
Marketers intentionally plant the seeds of brand recognition in very young children in the hopes of cementing a lifetime relationship. As adults many of us have fond memories of favorite cookies, candy, and hamburger restaurants we visited as children. Companies market nostalgic candy brands to adults who long for childhood treats.
But the difference between our childhoods and those of children today is the ubiquitous presence of food advertising – TV, internet, social networking, cell phones, school events, and vending machines. Many companies employ “buzz marketing.” They get the coolest kids to wear their clothes or sip their drinks so other kids will elevate the product to trendy and cool.
Fast food and cereal companies have been cultivating brand recognition with children for decades. Cracker Jacks was one of the first companies to capitalize on children’s love of collecting things by hiding a toy at the bottom of each box. Restaurant chains often pack movie or cartoon characters in kid’s meals setting up parents for return visits to accumulate the entire collection.
Schools used to be a place where kids were safe from food ads, but no longer. Schools now sign exclusive contracts with beverage companies to make up for budget shortfalls. Sports and social events provide opportunities to promote products and corporate logos. Even educational materials may have corporate sponsors. Pizza Hut offers free pizza as a reward in a reading incentive program. Campbell’s Labels for Education provides resources for schools in exchange for soup labels collected by students.
Ad agencies are eyeing kids as young as 3 years old as potential customers of the future. Young children cannot distinguish between commercials and regular programming. It isn’t until about age 8 that a child understands advertisements are separate from programs and that they may not always be truthful. When it comes to food, few commercials, less than 5%, are for wholesome unprocessed foods like apples, cherries or milk. The vast majority of ads are for restaurants, candy, soda and presweetened cereals. Children see these ads and when they go with their parents to the supermarket or mall, pester power kicks into overdrive.
Parents are often unaware of the tremendous influence all this ad exposure has on forming children’s opinions and brand recognition. Sometimes we think it is cute when a toddler recognizes a logo or food product. But, this recognition comes with a price, opinions are being formed and desires channeled which parents may find hard to change.
Television was once called the first curriculum because children learned so much from programs like Sesame Street and Barney. If that is true, computers and the internet trump TV big time. Children, even very small ones, often use the internet unattended, and unlike TV ads, the internet is unregulated.
Where does that leave you as a parent? Are you simply at the mercy of ads and promotional campaigns with little recourse? Absolutely not! But as parents we need to be vigilant and educate our kids about advertisements to make them more responsible consumers. First, and probably most important, life should not be defined by “things.” In the past that was a hard lesson, and parents, especially 2-parent working households, had the income to provide children with most of their wants. In short it was easy to succumb to pester power. Because of our current recession, it might be easier to teach restraint.
We can also teach compromise. If your child insists on a sugared cereal, buy a small box of the desired brand. But, explain that this cereal is so sweet it is more like candy than cereal. Use it as candy. Let your child have a small serving of sweetened cereal as a snack. Low in fat, fortified with vitamins, minerals and possibly fiber, it is a much better choice than a bag of potato chips. Or let your child top a healthier cereal choice with a quarter cup of the sweetened brand. Buy only miniature or snack-sized candy bars and offer just one. Give small portions of ice cream, for a preschooler a quarter cup is a serving.
All these examples teach reasonable portion size and relegate the food to its appropriate use. But none of this will work if Dad is munching on chips or Mom is eating cookies from the package. Children’s first teachers are always you and they learn by example. Never feel guilty when you don’t give in to pester power. As the parent, setting limits and providing a healthy environment for your child is your primary job. However, even these good intentions need to be tempered with some caution.
Parents who set up a very rigid food environment can plant the seeds for eating disorders. Life is full of choices and food choices are universal to us all. Rather than restricting some foods totally, making them more desirable, negotiate. You don’t allow your child to drink soda – a very reasonable limit. You can, however, allow a small glass to go with pizza once in awhile. If your child demands a food he’s seen on TV, look at it together the next time you shop. Explain why you don’t buy that brand and suggest a reasonable alternative. You may not win every scrimmage, but discussion and good modeling will help you ultimately win the war.
Raising kids is a tough job. You may not see all your positive input immediately. Consider the good advice and good examples you give like deposits in a bank. Eventually, your child will make withdrawals and surprise you with their commonsense.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 7 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to Jo Ann
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