Parents and the extended family are the most influential factors in the child's lifelong eating habits, general health and development, and brain power. Convincing parents of diet components that insure adequate nutrition is of prime importance; if the home does not support the content of the school's nutritional curriculum, the child may feel caught in the middle between conflicting values. Several studies have shown that parents can accept a nutritional curriculum if an effort is made to educate them at the same time as their children. Many activities can be undertaken to involve parents in teaching about nutrition. For example, parents may share family food customs with their children's classes. One of the advantages of involving parents directly is that the nutritionist can model for the parents ways in which they can teach their children about food. Parents can also be educated about nutrition by providing them with printed material or through scheduled group meetings where information is shared through films, demonstrations, lectures, and activities. Finally, actively involving parents in projects designed to incorporate new ideas about nutrition is a more effective way to change established beliefs than merely telling children and parents what to do. (CB)