You might not be aware of it all the time, but those little bundles of joy tend to pick up all
your habits, good or bad. As a parent, your kid looks up to you for almost all their lives,
however, it is in their early childhood that you need to implement healthy habits so that the
children would do the same. You can’t only tell your kids what is good to do and what not,
you need to show them and be a positive role model. Here are some helpful tips on how to
achieve that.
Love all foods
Even as infants, kids know what they like and what they don’t prefer. However, kids
somehow don’t want to eat those greens, usually because they look yucky. Broccoli,
cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, are some of the kid’s least favorite food. Your job is to
show how healthy and nutritional vegetables and other foods are. Prepare broccoli more
often and always offer it to your kids, even if they don't eat it, they might get intrigued. Or
after time, when you start ignoring their neglect or refusal of eating that food, they will just grab it when you are not watching. Above all, completely ditch junk food, and avoid
preparing greasy, sugared and unhealthy foods.
Wash the hands
Learning how to fight nasty germs and bacteria is more than vital. Not only for the health,
but also for the protection against illnesses and good behavior. Proper hygiene is the best
way to keep the entire family protected. Start by teaching your kid the importance of
washing hands before and after every meal, as soon as they enter the home after playing
or simply being outside. You can tell them When we wash our hands, we get rid of dirt
that make us feel sick. Make the activity of washing fun by having some routine and
technique. Create sounds or sing The Alphabet as you wash hands because 20 seconds
is an ideal time to thoroughly wash, rinse and dry hands.
Look after the teeth
As soon as the first tooth sees the light of the day, you need to implement the habit of
brushing teeth. In developed countries like Australia, children are thought to brush teeth on
their own from an early age. The best way for them to learn how to brush their teeth is to
do it together. Stand next to each other, wet the brush, squeeze the toothpaste, and brush
the teeth for about 3 minutes. Also, they should learn how to floss, but they should learn
that once their teeth start fitting closer. Above all, specify the importance of going to a
regular dentist checkup. For that reason, it is important to find a skilled and highly trained
Wollongong dentist where your child will feel most comfortable and where you would get
professional service.
Be in constant motion
Being physically active in all stages of life is extremely essential for your child’s growth,
health, energy, and stamina. Childhood obesity is a big problem, and that is mainly
because nowadays kids spend too much time in front of TVs and computers playing video
games. In order to avoid child obesity, improve their health and boost confidence and self-
esteem, your child should be in constant motion. Explain to them the health benefits of
playing any kinds of sport. Swimming and doing athletics is great for kids aged between 4
to 8 years, but they can play any other sport they wish as long as they do quality
stretching. Spend time outside with your kids, walk the dog together, cycle in the park, and
try to be in constant motion.
Avoid Being Messy
Usually, after school, kids simply throw their backpack on one corner of the room, and
clothes and socks on the other corner. You need to teach them to always put the stuff on
its place. Especially, they should learn not to leave trash and garbage all around the
house. After food, and if they happen to snack in between meals, you should stress the
importance of throwing wrappers, papers, tissues, and other leftovers directly to the trash
bin. Teach them that there are a lot of germs and bacteria on filthy bags and that nobody
should pick after them.
Drink plenty of Water
Unless juices are freshly squeezed, you should not offer them to your kids. They are full of
sugar, and they don’t contain any healthy nutrient. Because of that, and for many other
reasons, they should drink plenty of water. Only tell them and if necessary repeat on and
on: “Water is healthy, soft drinks are bad for you”. Again, if they don’t see you buying and
drinking juices and sodas, they won’t ask for them, neither will they drink them at some
friend's birthday party.
Enforcing and teaching your kids about healthy habits is a long and demanding process
that takes time and patience. You only need to be firm and persistence and the result will
be fantastic.
She is an incurable daydreamer, who finds inspiration in little,
everyday moments. Spending time at her cozy home office with her two
cats, writing her blog, is her favorite thing in the world.
- How To Teach Your Kids Healthy Habits - March 7, 2019