Two key focuses of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and Health/Wellness. If you have children, you want to set them up to be as successful as possible. One key to that success is being as healthy as possible. The following contributed post is entitled, Setting Up Healthy Habits In Our Children.
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We influence our children more than we know. For instance, if you tend to keep an organized and tidy home as they grow up, they’re more likely to value that and make sure their home space is well cared for.
The same goes for health. If we rely on junk and frozen foods to feed our kids too often (there’s no problem with either of these in moderation), then over time, children may not really know the value of cooking home recipes or using fresh foods to design their own cuisine. While they may develop a love for cooking, they might not have the positive influence of the household to support them.
Children tend to learn through osmosis, including what their home environment was like growing up. If you’re careful about it, you might find that allocating worthwhile healthy habits in them can help them grow more readily, and look to the future with a sense of responsibility rather than muddling through life. Everything begins with self-care, after all.
Let’s consider how to instill these healthy habits in our children for the better:
Attending Dental Appointments
Dental appointments matter and can often help define our health as we grow into teenagers and then adults. This is the same for our own children, who may need braces, or corrective work, or just checkups and regular cleanings. This can show them that dentist visits are a non-negotiable part of essential healthcare, helping them to avoid procrastination when it becomes their time to book. You’d be surprised how well this can go, especially if issues like teeth coming in the wrong way is adjusted properly.
Water As A Must
It’s essential for you to curate a household that appreciates drinking water. We know that sounds quite basic, but you’d be surprised how many children and teenagers artificially decide that they dislike water (as if the most important beverage of all time could be simply ignored), and that they’d prefer juices, flavorings, and sodas. Don’t accept this, as water is essential for good health, and should ideally be the main thing you drink throughout the day. Setting this discipline now can help them avoid picking up any negative habits. If you wish to improve the taste of tap water, buy a water filter.
Avoiding Peer Pressure Habits
One of the main issues that can take place when our kids are growing up is that others in their environment can pressure them, even through implication, to partake in bad activities. Of course, this might mean pre-emptively educating them about the harms of vaping and smoking, but also that just because another household’s family eats poorly it doesn’t mean we have to. The more they can take a reasoned approach to this and resist the urge to impress or act cool, the less you have to worry about them and the mistakes they may make in the long run. At the very least, you’ll give them the ability to know what happens in these environments, and how to avoid them.
Encourage Them To Pay It Forward
It’s nice to be nice, and that’s something more than a few people still need to learn. It could be worth teaching your children to do so. It’ll not only be good for the people they’re nice to, but it could end up positively impacting their health. They can practice this in their daily lives, and could even end up wanting to help a charity like Child Foundation OFAC.
With this advice, you’re certain to set up healthy habits in your children in the best possible light.
