Table 2:
Representative quotations from parents
| Theme | Quotation |
|---|---|
| Traditional messages: unrealistic recommendations | Parenting is really hard and I don’t want to be told off for sitting my kid down in front of a screen, when I need a break … if the consequences are worse … I don’t want to be getting really angry, if I need some time to cool down then I rather them have the screen time than me lose it. (P12) |
| I think that it is a great theory but try to work 3 night shifts in a row and not put her in front of the TV for half an hour when I just need her to calm down, or I just need to get something done or go switch the laundry or something. (P10) | |
| I think it [rigid guidelines] is another thing that would make parents feel guilty and another challenge that makes it difficult for parents. (P11) | |
| I think parenting is pretty tough and you get lots of advice and sometimes trying to do it all it, doesn’t make you feel so good. (P12) | |
| I have got to be sane for her to be sane and if it means letting her watch a show for 15 minutes then that’s fine. (P10) | |
| I think that you need to set realistic goals for parents. (P9) | |
| Traditional messages: unclear and inconsistent messaging | There is so much information that you get hit with, you kind of remember bits of it … you don’t remember it [all] correctly. (P12) |
| I think I have heard no screen time under 2 and then I’ve heard limit screen time to half an hour a day for maybe over 2 but I am getting them mixed up. So, I am not exactly sure. (P12) | |
| There’s like 12 grams of sugar in milk so … where do you draw the line? (P27) | |
| Sugary drinks and juice is all the same now? It just seems kind of unclear — I thought 100% juice was recommended in the Food Guide? (P13) | |
| Technology is such an important part of our society these days, that you do not want to completely eliminate it from your child’s life. (P3) | |
| Advertising or smart marketing make you think it’s healthy; there’s a lot of misconceptions around food. (P26) | |
| Novel feeding roles message | I think it’s wonderful — I should put it on my fridge; you can’t make your kid eat. (P1) |
| It makes it really black and white ... it’s not something you think about, but to see somebody spell it out for you … you realize that it’s important. (P24) | |
| Babies and kids thrive on structure and routine and being able to predict what’s going to happen. (P3) | |
| I feel that it is important to be there as a family; you can’t force them to eat. (P20) | |
| It’s really helped us have a much more pleasant mealtime; before it would get really tense and people would be really unhappy; it makes the whole evening go better. (P4) | |
| Including her in our meal times … and making it more about a social interaction, suddenly she [is] also like, “Oh yeah, I want to eat too.” (P13) | |
| It tells you that your child, if he’s not eating then that’s totally fine. (P4) | |
| Preferences: importance of starting early | I think just knowing this stuff before you kind of start out, before the baby comes is very important. (P10) |
| I wish I had never given him any form of juice whatsoever because then we wouldn’t have had this ongoing battle. (P26) | |
| It is hard after we already set the precedent that you can say you are hungry and you get a snack. It is harder to go back. (P33) | |
| When they’re sort of under [age] one, it’s pretty easy to control it, but will be tough in daycare. … [now] it’s my chance though. (P2) | |
| If they don’t know that juice is an option then I don’t think they miss it. (P11) | |
| If you start right away, I can’t imagine that it would be a problem. (P28) | |
| If it’s an infant then it is really easy to say, no you can’t have it, but if they are older they can argue with you. (P12) | |
| If they’ve been following this recommendation, they’re not all of a sudden going to start feeding them sugary drinks because they’ve built up a healthy habit. (P6) | |
| Preferences: presentation | People don’t like reading … I feel like paper stuff might not … be the way to go anymore. (P2) |
| When we went to the hospital, they gave us like this whole package of stuff and it was like “blehh.” (P11) | |
| I prefer it on paper … I get so overwhelmed with emails, my inbox is full every day … you just delete it … I think it sticks in your mind better, too. (P24) | |
| We primarily get our information online … on Facebook we’ve created these mom groups. (P16) | |
| I think it’s the conversation … that had the most impact on me, that’s what I remember. (P9) | |
| [Posters in the waiting room?] Yeah, for sure — boredom is a powerful influence. (P16) | |
| Preferences: community-based | I think if everyone is doing it, it becomes normal. (P12) |
| There are other programs adopting that no-juice philosophy already. It’s easy if it’s everywhere, on the same page. (P5) | |
| We go to Strong Start on the Wednesdays and that’s great because it is a night off for me and it is a healthy meal. (P12) | |
| I can’t really say to my daughter “you can’t drink it” [at a party] when everyone [else] is. (P15) | |
| The daycare … they have a really good schedule for the kids so that really helps. (P4) |
Note: P = participant.