How to Teach Your Child to Stay Healthy
If you want to raise a healthy child, you should make this venture a family affair. Teaching your child how to exercise, eat right and adopt certain habits helps develop a strong foundation for your child to build upon. Mindful living creates a happier, healthier home for your child to grow and thrive in.
Instructions
Encourage daily physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and adolescents should participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Exercise as a family to promote healthy living. Go bike riding, jogging or hiking. Throw a Frisbee, toss a baseball around or kick a soccer ball. Promote healthy eating. Be a food role model and eat a well-rounded, nutritious diet. Have regular family meals together as frequently as you can. Try to stick to three meals and two snacks a day. Involve your child in planning a weekly menu, grocery shopping and meal preparation. Stock the fridge and cupboards with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, nuts and low-fat dairy products. Have plenty of easy, ready-to-grab snacks, like baby carrots, squeezable yogurt tubes, individual trail mix packets, string cheese and granola bars, for busy days. Avoid buying unhealthy foods, like candy, highly processed food items or fatty foods. Be a water advocate. Instead of doling out soda, sports drinks, juice boxes and sugary drink pouches, consider having water handy instead. Not only does this cut down on the amount of sugar in your child̵7;s diet and the risk of tooth decay, it keeps her hydrated. This is important, as every cell in the body needs water. Have your child pick out a refillable water bottle and carry it with her on outings. According to HealthyChildren.org, there is no magic number for the amount of water to drink per day, but drinking when thirsty throughout the day is important, especially when exercising and during hot weather. Five to seven glasses per day should be sufficient. To tell if your child is getting enough, check to see that his urine is a light color, not dark. Demonstrate illness-preventing behaviors. Show your child how to properly wash his hands after using the bathroom, playing outside, sneezing, coughing and picking his nose. He should always wash up before eating. Remind him to cough or sneeze into the crook of his arm or into a tissue. Discourage the sharing of personal items, such as toothbrushes, hats, hairbrushes and towels, with others. Help your child handle stress. Show your child how to talk through problems and use problem-solving skills. Use stress-reducing techniques in your home, like deep breathing and yoga.
