Children are great imitators. Whatever they see and observe, it is likely they will do. That’s one of the reasons why it is so important to teach kids healthy habits as soon as possible.
We think building an early foundation of healthy habits gives children a great start toward a healthier and better tomorrow. Here are a few ways that you can help do this for them:
Healthy Eating: Healthy eating habits for kids are so important in their early years. We know a lot of parents face a big challenge getting kids to eat well. The key is to make eating healthy look appealing to your children. Make an effort to show them the negative effects of eating unhealthy food, and help them make the right food choices. Try to have dinner together, as much as possible — this is a comforting ritual for kids. Studies show that kids who take part in regular family meals are more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains and less likely to snack on unhealthy foods. Family dinners are also proven to improve children’s self-esteem and build better relationships both inside and outside the family.
Breakfast (While We’re On The Topic Of Eating): Never let your children skip breakfast. A full breakfast will give them necessary energy for the whole day. A good healthy breakfast keeps blood sugar levels in check and keeps your child active. Breakfast should always include a protein, a carb, and fruit for complete nutrition. A hard-boiled egg with an English muffin and a bowl of fruit every morning before school is a great example. On the weekend, offer fun but healthy breakfast foods like whole-grain waffles and pancakes with fruit and some yogurt. Also, eat breakfast yourself. You can’t expect your child to eat in the morning if they don’t see you eating.
Get Them Moving Outside: Along with a good diet, it’s important for kids to be physically active. Get your child to spend more time doing outdoor activities, such as running, cycling, playing in the park with friends, etc. Physical activities energize and keep kids happy and motivated. They also are a great way to spend time together as a family. Extra bonus: Taking part in outdoor activities regularly is shown to improve children’s sensory skills and increase their ability to focus on daily activities.
Sleeping on Time: The right amount of sleep is important to regain and replenish the energy levels in a child’s body. Keep a sleep routine for your child and stick to it — irregular sleeping hours will make your child irritable and erratic. Pediatricians recommend that children (ages 6 to 12) should sleep up to 12 hours a night. Teenagers should sleep 10 hours a night. For all kids, bedtime before 10 PM is best for optimal sleep to support a growing body. It’s hard for those wired to stay up late, but the best way to get children to buy into acceptable sleep times is for the whole family to retire to their bedrooms. Otherwise, they think they’re missing out.
Good Reading Habits: Reading is paramount for every child. It not only helps in grasping language better, but also encourages kids to become more imaginative and creative. Set up a regular reading schedule or even read together at bedtime. We schedule family reading time every day for an hour. We really enjoy it. We all sit together and read our books. Sometimes we read to each other. This is a great way to boost children’s confidence in themselves and reinforce the importance of reading.
Good Personal Hygiene: While some kids have no problem taking a bath or shower every day, others object. Some need to be bribed, threatened or forced … like my 12-year-old son. He pretends to take a shower. He will leave the water running, stick his head under the shower quickly (without getting in) and say that he showered. They will grow out of this eventually, but in the meantime stay the course. Remember (every day) to outline the benefits of good hygiene and what it means to their relationships with others and their self-confidence. Eventually, it will click for them. It also helps to find products made for kids that smell great, are safe, and work well.
My son is one of the reasons we built this brand. I couldn’t find products on the market that he found appealing, worked well, and were safe. We changed that. He now washes his face daily (a clear face is motivating to him, apparently) and uses our kid’s deodorant. That's such a win for us!
SHOP OUR KID'S PRODUCTS, here.