It is important to instill good values and habits in your children as soon as they can walk. Healthiness in youth translates to vibrant adulthood. Doing this early lets your children enjoy their childlike vigor for far longer. While they’re young, start living healthy.
Another overlooked aspect of a healthy childhood is an eco-friendly lifestyle. It’s important to keep one’s environment as healthy and clean as you are. Not only that, it contributes to saving the planet. From eco-friendly personal care products to spending time in nature, here are the best ways to keep your child healthy.
Personal Health
Diversify Their Diet
Kids may seem like they have endless stomachs, but everything they eat still affects their health. Don’t ever let them gorge on carbs without breaks. Make sure to keep an eye on their diet as they’re growing. They shouldn’t be starving, but they shouldn’t be putting on any extra weight that they don’t need.
More importantly, their diets need to be diverse. Make sure they appreciate veggies, meat, and fruits from an early age over junk food. Most kids have a fast enough metabolism that weight gain is easily dealt with. Sugar and bad fats, however, affect kids no matter what weight they are.
Always Be Body Positive
Kids are like sponges, and if you start to be excessively harsh to them because of their bodies, they will slowly resent you for it. While in the short term, they might follow your harsh methods, they will relapse the moment you aren’t around. Instead of criticizing their weight, reward them for being healthy instead.
If you notice them losing weight, compliment them immediately. Allow kids a cheat day once a month where they get to eat whatever they like. Special occasions should never be overridden by diets, either. A brief cheat day makes the day-to-day healthy eating seem much less “painful” in comparison.
Ensure They Get Sleep
Do you know how in adulthood, you wish you had more sleep? That’s because bad habits as a kid of not sleeping properly followed you into busy adulthood. No matter how much they complain, be firm in sleep curfews. Over time, your kids will thank you for not feeling tired every morning. Even more importantly, they’ll keep these healthy habits into adulthood.
Play With Your Kids
An active lifestyle is important for children’s health, but it’s not like they can start hitting the gym when they can barely spell “calisthenics”. Instead, encourage them to play outside or play sports if you can join them in these activities, even better. In addition to healthy exercise, you also strengthen your bonds with them.
Minimize Gadget Use
The key word here is “minimize,” not “ban outright.” In this day and age, it’s pointless to ban gadgets when they’re so integral to daily modern life. Regardless, there’s a difference between occasional gaming versus being glued to the screen for hours at a time. Limit their gadget use during their childhood years, and never let it become a “surrogate” parent.
Eco-Friendly Habits
Spend Time In Nature
There are many beautiful parks, and conservation sites that you might not even know were near you. The outdoors are beautiful places, and with the proper prep, it could be a beautiful memory as well. Spend time outdoors with your kids and teach them to appreciate nature. Not only will the exercise and fresh air do them some good, but it also teaches the importance of conservation.
Clean Your Surroundings
Waste not, want not. Excess waste is one of the leading causes of pollution in this world. Too much trash doesn’t just clutter the environment. It also contributes to the overall pollution of the world, as cleaning it up takes resources, which in turn generates more waste. On a more personal level, it prevents bacteria and other germs from accumulating in your home.
Use Eco-Friendly Transportation
Kids will notice the things their parents do, so it’s important for you to encourage (if practical) less polluting means of transportation. If something is within walking distance or can be biked to, tell your kids to do that instead. Not only do you save on gas money, but you also lessen greenhouse gases that go into our atmosphere.
Go Gardening
Gardening is a fun and productive way to spend time with kids. Sure, it’s dirty and laborious work, but it can be fun when done right. Not only that, gardening is very rewarding. Seeing a beautiful flower bloom or harvesting tomatoes for a delicious bolognese sauce teaches kids the value of hard work.
Conclusion
Whether it’s healthy food for babies or a walk in the park, these habits are essential for the growth of your children. These won’t just keep them healthy as kids but remain important habits well into adulthood. Kids, contrary to popular belief, are open to healthy lifestyles. You just have to make it fun for them.
Author: Katie Pierce
