A Quick Guide to Leading Your Child to Good Decisions and Healthy Habits
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A Quick Guide to Leading Your Child to Good Decisions and Healthy Habits
There’s nothing easy about raising a family. Loving your kids might come with little effort, but dealing with the stresses and decisions of everyday life when you are busy can be very difficult at times. That being said, the stakes are obviously quite high in parenting. You want your child to avoid the mistakes you made when you were younger, and you want to do your part in helping them develop into the healthiest, strongest, happiest version of themselves possible.
Not sure where to start when it comes to guiding your child toward good decisions and healthy habits? Check out this quick guide from The Mommies Reviews!
Setting Goals
Whether it is earning a degree, changing your career, losing weight, or pursuing any other personal objective, it’s essential to show your child how to establish goals. Find out what they want to accomplish in the near future, no matter how small a task it is. And teach them to write out their hopes and dreams, break them down into manageable goals, and document their journey. One effective way to encourage your child to develop these habits is to keep a journal yourself and to invest in a kid-friendly journal to give them.
Eating Nutritiously
The best way to ensure that your child forms healthy eating habits is to keep nutritious food in the house and to eat a balanced diet yourself – which is a lot easier if you work from home and have greater access to your kitchen. Always look for healthy alternatives to conventional ingredients and cooking methods; for instance, cook with canola, sunflower, or olive oil instead of vegetable oil or butter.
Also, keep healthy snacks like fruit and nuts around the house that will provide your kids with energy throughout the day. And of course, limit their intake of sugary beverages, and, as Parents magazine suggests, help them get used to drinking lots of water!
Regularly Seeing a Doctor
Whether it’s yearly checkups or vaccinations and boosters, seeing a physician on a regular basis is a great way to teach your child the value of staying up to date on their health. When you access an online doctor, you can discuss matters with a physician without leaving your home. A virtual doctor’s visit is as easy as booking an appointment, which can be done the same day from anywhere, chatting with a doctor, and picking up your prescribed medications locally when necessary. This timely and convenient service is covered by most insurance providers, giving you assurance and confidence that you’ll be seen and cared for.
Physical Activity
Physical activity is critical no matter the age of an individual. Try to establish solid fitness routines as a family. Ideally, each person in your family will get 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day, even if it is an accumulation of short movements throughout the day. Here are a few practical ideas for making sure your family gets the physical activity needed to stay healthy:
- Play basketball, tag, kickball, volleyball, or any other recreational activities outdoors.
- Take a family walk through the neighborhood before or after dinner.
- Plan weekend getaways that include hiking, biking, or other outdoor activities.
- Replace a portion of your screen time with physical activity.
Drugs and Alcohol
Finally, every child will be exposed to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other substances at some point. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital notes that you want to make sure they learn about it from you. If your child is at least five or six years old, it might be time to begin conversations about such substances.
Though you will want to talk to your child about the dangers and consequences of harmful substances, you will also want to highlight positive alternatives to using substances for coping with stress and other issues. Moreover, pay attention to the friends your child is spending time with.
The ultimate goal of a parent is for their child to have a wonderful childhood and grow up to be healthy, happy, and successful adults. By taking simple steps each day – including nutritious eating, regularly seeing a doctor and exercising – you can help put your child on the path to becoming the best version of themselves. Along with consulting the guide above, always remain open to other methods of instilling healthy habits in your children!
The Mommies Reviews blog features a variety of trending and family-oriented articles with a focus on independent living. Reach out today for more info! atexasgirlblogs@gmail.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates