There are no two ways about it, we only want the best for our children. Whether it is to see them as successful adults accomplishing milestones or confident individuals trying to survive on their own. Whether it is career success or personality development, it all starts with health. Health comes first – before success, before finding purpose, before chasing dreams.
Unfortunately, encouraging our children to make healthy lifestyle choices is not that easy – especially when most of us are leading a sedentary lifestyle and binge on junk food every other day. Not to mention, handling children is not a piece of cake. Those who know, know. The struggle is real. But what are we here for? To make the struggle easier.
Presenting a few tips that can help parents raise healthy children.
Focus on active time over screen time
Long gone are the days when you would see children playing outside. Now you can find most of them sitting at home, watching videos or playing games. And we know what happens when children are addicted to screens. It doesn’t only harm their eyesight but also makes them miss out on activities that are essential for physical and mental development.
So, your cue here is to find ways to decrease screen time. But how? For starters, don’t let your children form a habit of having their meals while watching their screens. In fact, you must encourage eating together as a family. Secondly, set screen limits. Thirdly, if your kids like to play puzzles and mathematical games on a tablet, encourage them to choose newspaper puzzles instead.
Play fun games together as a family to develop healthy habits
When do children grab phones and tablets? When they have nothing fun to do. So, the idea here is to introduce various fun activities that your family can do together. These activities can also turn out to be great bonding exercises for your family.
Ensure that your children spend at least 60 minutes doing physical activities. You can play hide and seek with them, hopscotch, chase and run or any other game of your child’s liking.
Make nutrition fun and interesting for your child
Junk food is harmful to health – you know it better than your child does. Consequently, they will listen to their taste buds and mind more than they will listen to you. So, you have to play smart here.
It would help if you try to make nutrition fun for them. But how do you do that? Here are a few ways:
- Plant vegetable gardens with them.
- Go for fruit and vegetable shopping with them.
- Bake healthy meals with them.
- Use healthy sauces and chutney to make boring meals delicious.
Swap unhealthy food with healthy food
Well, you cannot forbid your child from eating junk food, but what you can do is swap unhealthy food with healthier alternatives. Here are a few ways:
- Choose olive oil for cooking. Cook air-fried food.
- Go for brown rice instead of white rice.
- Prepare a fruit salad instead of sandwiches full of cheese and unhealthy sauces.
- Serve lemonade instead of sodas and cold beverages
Be mindful of what you keep in the fridge
Your child won’t always ask you to prepare their meals. They would check the fridge to find something to munch. So, be mindful of what you keep in the fridge. Refrain from keeping cold beverages, candies, chocolates, and ice cream. Instead, keep chopped fruits that they can munch when they are hungry.
Mindfully shop for grocery
Going along the same line, you need to be mindful of the food items you bring into your home. So, while you are out there shopping for groceries, make wiser health choices. Refrain from choosing packaged food. Shop for healthier alternatives. Make it a habit to read nutritional values before proceeding with the purchases.
Don’t submit to your child’s wishes every now and then
Every time your child craves junk food, they will ask you to order or ask you to take them out. Submitting to their wishes once in a blue moon is okay, but don’t let it become a habit. However, you have to ensure that you don’t decline rudely. Healthy parenting, remember? You don’t have to make toxic mistakes. Instead, you must explain your points, and make them understand. Be calm while you are at it.
Lead by example
It is true when they say that children learn by example. They watch and learn from you. So, if you want to develop healthy eating habits in your children, you have to start first. Make healthier choices in front of them. For starters, limit eating out, and eat healthy meals yourself before expecting your child to do the same.
Closing thoughts
Raising healthy children is a complex and multifaceted journey that requires dedication, knowledge, and a nurturing environment. By understanding the secrets to children’s health and implementing them in our everyday lives, we can empower our kids to grow into strong, resilient individuals. From providing a balanced diet to encouraging physical activity, every decision we make as parents and caregivers can have a profound impact on our children’s overall health.
