7 Healthy Habits to Teach Your Children

Now more than ever, it is crucial for our children to learn the importance of good hygiene and healthy habits. Children often emulate our habits as adults, and one of the most important things we can do as a parent is to establish healthy decision-making. Whether it’s for our physical, mental or emotional health, healthy habits in childhood set the stage for how we fare later in life. So get the family together and make some healthy decisions!

Wash Hands

Make hand-washing easy with five simple steps to follow:

• Wet your hands in warm water.
• Lather up with soap. 
• Scrub your hands for 20 seconds. (Don’t forget palms, back of hands, between fingers and under nails!)
• Rinse under running water. 
• Dry with a clean towel. 

To make washing a little more fun, add some music! Singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice, the ABCs or “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” works perfectly. Any song that lasts 20 seconds will work. 

Eat Healthily

Family meals can be a great routine to establish. Children really like the predictability of eating meals as a family, and it gives parents a chance to talk about their day. Studies show that children who regularly have family meals are more likely to eat fruits, vegetables and grains and less likely to snack on junk food. Stocking up on healthy foods is important and for parents to be role models, so be sure you’re walking the walk and not just talking the talk! 

Don’t Skip Breakfast

You’ve heard it all your life: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! And it’s true. That first meal kick-starts your metabolism and helps burn calories throughout the day, providing you with the energy you need to focus and get the job done. The same goes for your children, whose memory and concentration will benefit from a healthy first meal. Parents can explain how food is the body’s fuel, and our brains need that fuel to work the best that they can. 

Be Active

Getting your children outside to play and spend time being active can prevent them from living a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle. With increased outdoor play comes improved motor skills, a lower body mass index, improved muscle strength and better overall health. Along with the obvious health benefits, playing outside provides social development benefits like greater self-awareness, appreciation for the environment and better relationships with their peers. 

Practice Yoga & Mindfulness

With mindfulness, we’re asked to focus on the present moment instead of dwelling on past experiences or thinking ahead to the future. For children, mindfulness helps them self-soothe and builds self-esteem. To get started, teach your children to concentrate on their breathing, in and out. Ask them to notice when their mind wanders and remind them to bring that attention back to their breathing. This practice, along with slow, intentional yoga, can help a child control their anxiety and learn how to control strong emotions. 

Limit Screen Time

Setting boundaries is a cornerstone of the role of a parent. Children naturally push boundaries, and that is why it is important to show them just how far they can go. When it comes to screen time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has very specific guidelines. Children ages two to five should only have an hour or less of screen time per day. You, as a parent, get to decide whether that’s realistic for your family, but the important thing is to remain accountable. Expectations must be set, and if screen time is exceeded, there should be repercussions — like losing screen time the following day. Parents need to be role models here, as well! Set screen-free zones in your home, and make sure adults are following the rules, too. 

Read Every Day

A child’s imagination is limitless. By reading every day, they’re introduced to new concepts and cultures beyond what they’ve experienced in their own lives. Reading allows a child to broaden their mind and develop empathy for others. A strong reader is confident and imaginative, with the ability to immerse themselves in new worlds. In fact, children who read 20 minutes a day are exposed to 1.8 million words a year. This is another opportunity for parents to get in on the fun! Show your children how great reading is by putting everything else away and focusing on a good book!