‘Honey, let’s save our kids!’

HEALTHY FAMILY: Maia and Sheryn Smith and their children Matthew and Jolea enjoy a healthy meal at their Te Awamutu home. They feature in the TV3 show ‘Honey we’re killing the kids’ next Tuesday night (7.30pm, December 5). 334061AD

Te Awamutu family tackle lifestyle ‘prescription’ to reshape children’s future

By Grant Johnston

The Smith family of Te Awamutu put themselves through the mill for TV3 show ‘Honey, we’re killing the kids’ - but they’re convinced it was well and truly worth it.

Maia and Sheryn Smith decided to put themselves and children Matthew (12) and Jolea (2) forward for the show in an attempt to give themselves the tools to help their children make healthy lifestyle choices.

The show is based on the BBC show of the same name and sees health expert, Dr Louise Schofield, giving seven sets of parents the opportunity to see what their children will be like when they reach middle age. Dr Schofield works with the parents as they try to transform their family’s lifestyle and change the face of the children’s future.

Each of the children undergo a series of tests and, with the aid of state-of-the-art graphics wizardry, a portrait emerges of what they will look like as middle-aged men and women. Medical, nutritional and psychological tests are then performed on each child and Dr Schofield lays down new guidelines for the family to follow on everything from diet, exercise, literacy, sleep and leisure activities, with additional challenges tailored to each family.

“Before the programme our family was very much into our own individual things, after dinner sometimes just going off into our own projects and no real togetherness,” Sheryn Smith says. “We also ate takeaways three times a week and didn’t really do much as a family in an active sense.”

She soon learned that her 11-year-old son was far more willing to take the word of a nutritionist over that of his Mum.

“Having Louise tell Matthew what to eat and what food is bad for him was great because he was more willing to follow her advice than listen to Mum.”

The programme was filmed over four weeks earlier this year. The family had the cameraman and the director with them from 6.45am to bedtime six days a week.

“The first week involved just being ourselves, then we were critiqued by the team and filmed in the studio being given our first three rules. The week was filmed with us incorporating the new rules, and at the end of week two, and week three we were given another three rules, so by week three we had nine new rules to live by.”

Family members were filmed at the end of each week answering questions on how things were going.

“The rules ranged from Matthew cooking dinner, him and I learning a musical instrument, Maia and Matthew going to tae kwon do, family fun days, no screen time, and 10,000 steps a day, just to name a few. We watched way too much TV, so I loved the no screen time, which meant no TV or computer on Thursday and TV was limited to two hours a day per person - that was my favourite rule.”

Another good effect was that the family became really close during the filming - cheering each other on as they attempted to work with the changes. They now do more active things together, like basketball, 10-pin bowling and regular outings.

“We have become more aware of eating healthy, and Matthew unconsciously queries fat content in some food - it has become a good habit for him. Sometimes when I am lazy and feel like buying takeaways, Matthew reminds me that he wants to eat healthy.”

All members of the Smith family have lost weight during the programme - something that was a primary goal beforehand.

“As a family, we wanted to show other families that healthy eating, and more importantly a healthy lifestyle, can be achieved, and that we owe it to our children to give them the knowledge so that we can be secure in knowing that they will make wise choices that benefit their lives, now and in the future.”