The first order of business is to comfort your child. Make sure she understands that you aren't disappointed in her but rather are concerned about her welfare. Never ever punish or reprimand a child for falling off the fitness wagon. It's not only counterproductive, but it can also greatly erode your child's sense of self-esteem. Focus instead on how you can help her effectively deal with the lapse and move on.

Whether your child experienced a slight stumble (eating an entire bag of cookies after school) or a major face-first fall (fast food for lunch five days a week), help her to keep it in perspective. It's not the momentary lapse that matters as much as what she learns from it and how she handles future encounters with triggers for inappropriate eating.

Showing Support

Follow your child's lead to determine the best way to be supportive. Older kids may need their space to sort through things, while young children will require your help in understanding what went wrong. Younger children may also not yet have the vocabulary or insight to adequately explain how they're feeling or what might be behind their lapse. You can help by engaging them in conversation, talking about basic emotions they may be feeling (happy, sad, mad), and reassuring them of both your love and faith in their abilities.

Sitting down with a younger child and drawing pictures together is also sometimes useful. It allows small children to illustrate situations that they may not have the word power to describe verbally. Ask them to draw or paint a picture of what happened before they decided to eat too much, or suggest that they depict how they would have liked things to happen, and then talk about the artwork together.

Don't force your teen into a discussion about a lapse if she is resistant. Instead, just let her know you're there if she changes her mind, as are the other adults in her life. Suggest journaling as an option for venting, and continue to stay the course as far as providing a healthy environment free of junk food and modeling good exercise and dietary habits.

Getting Past Guilt

Kids who tie their weight and fitness goals too closely to their own sense of self-worth can be devastated over even a minor stumble. Guilt is a powerful emotion. While it may make your child work twice as hard on his fitness goals in the short term, it can also set him up for some serious self-esteem problems. Encouraging your child to feel good about himself at any size is the best way to combat the negative effects of guilt.