How to pass healthy habits to children

It is the responsibility of every parent to teach their children how to live better healthy habits. Start teaching them when they are young. This will help them to avoid making unhealthy choices and developing lifelong bad habits. Parents need to set good examples for their children to emulate. Telling you kids what they should do will not always work, you have to lead by example.

There are many ways to help children develop healthy lifestyles. Here are some

Nutrition, physical activity, and sleep

Children in the US weigh more than expected. They eat too much food high in sugar and fat. There are many healthy diet food companies like health express that will help you on the type of food to give your children to stay healthy.

 Children who have weight issues have an increased risk of future health complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol.

How to help them

• Use proportion sizes to feed them
• Pay attention to the type of food you buy. Limit the consumption of junk. Ensure they take much fruits and vegetables.
• Monitor your children’s activities. They should not spend longer hours in front of screen (television, video games, tablet, and computer). Rather you should encourage them to engage in physical activities more.
• Give them plenty of water and milk to drink each day. Limit the consumption of sweetened and high calorie drinks. These include sweetened iced tea, flavoured milk, energy drinks, sports drinks, soft drinks and fruit juice.
• Make physical activity part of family routine. Talk about work, visit a gym and encourage your kids to try group activities like martial arts and team sports. This can help a child’s growth process and boost their self-esteem.
• Teach your children healthy oral habits. This includes brushing their teeth at least twice a day and flossing their teeth once a day. Take them to the dentists for regular cleaning at least once in every 6 months.
• Ensure that they get enough sleep and rest
• Teach them the importance of regular medical check-ups.

Tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs

Most kids become curious about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs at an early adolescence stage. Some children try tobacco, alcohol and other hard drugs by the time they are in middle school. Studies reveal that children are more likely to stay away from these if you orient them early about the dangers

How you can help:

• Ensure that it sounds to their eyes that it’s not okay for them to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, chew tobacco or any other hard drugs. Set clear cut punishment if they violate this rule
• Educate them on the dangers of taking these substances. Give them real life examples of people who have had bad things happen to their life for consuming such substances
• Talk to them about peer pressure and how they can avoid the pressures from their peers
• Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Build relationships with them. Let their friends know the rules you have set for your children and the consequences for breaking such rules
• Set a good example for your children to follow. Don’t be a kind of parent that tells their children not to smoke or drink alcohol and yet you do otherwise.

If you want your children to live better healthy lifestyles, then you must set the pace for them to follow.