When it comes to being a parent, there really isn’t a book that tells you how to do it step by step. Not only do we pass on genetics to our kids, but we can also pass on our good and bad habits. So, it is important to share with our kids the things we care about, which we can only hope involves health and wellness. Life is busy, and with everyone in the family having hectic schedules, it can be troublesome to find time to sit down and enjoy quality time together. But it’s definitely worth trying!
Here are six easy, yet effective ways to get your child on the right track to a healthy lifestyle.
- Preparing Colorful Meals Regularly
Eating foods with many colors is not just fun, but it encourages a healthy diet, too. Help your kids understand the important value of eating the different shades of fruits and vegetables into their regular diet. Try to incorporate different types of grains, fruits, and vegetables into their meals. This can be a great experience learning all the colors of the rainbow from blue, red, orange, green, yellow, and brown. Be sure not to skip a meal and eat regularly. Teaching them that starting the day positively with a healthy breakfast will help boost energy, keep them strong, and so much more.
- Encourage Them to Drink Water
Water is always the number one choice when it comes to quenching thirst. You can keep this simple; teach your kids that there are many additives in juices and soda. They might not completely understand all of the reasons why too much juice and soda are bad, but you can help educate that there is little to no nutritional value. Help them to make the right choices!
- Incorporate Physical Activities
It’s no surprise that kids are already moving around a lot: running, jumping, climbing, and playing with pals all day long. But during the pandemic, lifestyle has changed for many people including kids being less active doing outdoor activities or team related sport. As we all try to get back to it, it should not be too difficult to make regular exercise a natural next step.
Getting your child’s heart rate up by sport or play is a great way to keep your kids active. Head to the park or a jungle gym to encourage flexibility, strength, and endurance. Go spend time outdoors, it’s free!
- Focus on the Internal and not External
Help kids understand what things are internal, like our core values and awareness of ourselves. Knowing about ourselves will help them to navigate life more efficiently and learn to rely on their intuition. It’s that gut feeling we have that should be valued like gold. Teach them to distinguish what are external things that may not be as important as some of the internal foundations they should develop as they grow. External things may include technology and devices, clothes we wear, and the shows and music we may entertain with.
- Build Personal Connections
Having family and friends you can trust is vital to having a healthy lifestyle in school-aged children. Having friends teaches children essential social skills such as cooperation, communication, and problem-solving. Encourage your kids to create different friendships and to spend time with them often. They will gain life skills to use for years to come.
- Enjoy Family Times Together
There are many ways to create family times together and it’s essential that we try to create some routines as a whole unit. I think of it as building “Unity”. Creating a family routine of regular mealtimes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner helps your kids continue good eating habit and you’ll be able to catch up on each other’s day. This is a great opportunity to have them express and share their thoughts and matters they’re dealing with. According to an extensive study completed by the University of Florida department of Pediatrics, family meals help maintain family bonds, keep kids from getting obese, and many other positive factors!
Taking steps to help your child make healthy choices is a critical life skill parents can teach their kids. Leading by example is enough to show them, so they’re better able to make those decisions on their own as they get older.
Have any ideas for Ways to Teach Children Health and Wellness? We’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below or send us an email!