On May 15th, International Family Day, it is important to recognize the essential role that families play in the formation of healthy habits. By teaching them by example from a young age, we can ensure that our children’s physical and emotional well-being is maintained throughout their lives.
The family is the ideal learning environment for children, and research has demonstrated that children are more likely to adhere to the habits that are fostered at home. Establishing and maintaining healthy habits from an early age can have a positive impact on one’s health and wellbeing, as well as prevent the development of risk factors that lead to diseases.
To ensure a healthy lifestyle, including physical, mental, and social health, the following are the primary healthy habits that should be fostered in the family:
Eat a Balanced Diet:
It is essential to maintain a healthy diet in order to obtain the necessary nutrients for optimal health. Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and cereals is key to providing energy throughout the day. Additionally, it is important to exercise regularly, as 31% of children are overweight.
Regular exercise:
Approximately 30% of the children are overweight. Regular physical activity is beneficial for both physical and mental health.
Drinking:
Drinking water is essential for maintaining good hydration, as it provides 70% of the body’s body’s water. Drinking water or juice is much healthier than consuming carbonated or sugary drinks, which can have a negative impact on one’s health.
Sleep:
Finally, it is important for adults and children to sleep the necessary hours to recover from daily exertion and to ensure the proper physical and mental functioning of the entire family.
Maintaining good hygiene:
Maintaining good hygiene is one of the most important things we can do to prevent many of the common diseases. Simple things like washing your hands when you come home, before and after you go to the bathroom, getting your teeth cleaned properly, and washing your food before you eat… are all things that we need to instill in our family to help us stay healthy.
Avoid harmful habits:
Avoid harmful habits like tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs from a very young age at home. Parents are the best example of how to instill good habits in their children, so it’s important that they live them at home so that they can incorporate them naturally but consciously throughout their lives. This is important because you don’t want to force them to do it, so that they don’t see it as an obligation.
It’s important to teach kids healthy habits throughout their childhood and teens. The best way to do this is by following the example of their parents, so make sure they live the habits at home so they can incorporate them into their lives. Don’t force them to do it, so they don’t feel like it’s something they have to do. It’s better to let them do it naturally, even if it’s just for fun, so that it creates positive family experiences they want to keep around for life.
We can get the whole family involved in healthy eating by:
-Choosing the menu together
-Shopping together
-Getting the kids to help prepare the meals as a fun activity.
-Encouraging them to eat a wide variety of foods by playing with the color of food.
-Setting the table and picking it up
-Encouraging at least one meal a day
-Encouraging eating all the time and as a family without rushing and without the distractions of TV to encourage conversation.
-Getting kids to go for a walk, go on an excursion, take the dog out, go swimming, ride a bike, etc. is more fun and appealing when done as a family.
Children should avoid sedentary lifestyles:
Children need to get moving and avoid the sedentary lifestyles that have caused them to spend too much time in front of the television or playing video games. Replace these with more sporting activities. If the kids have a good experience of exercising as a family, they will view it as a fun and rewarding activity and it will be easier for them to incorporate it into their habits.
Remember that giving positive reinforcement is way better than giving negative corrections. The child will be more interested if we say things like, “These oranges are really good tasting” or “How well you ate”. Don’t tell them to stop eating cookies because they’ll make them fat, or sweets because they’ll spoil them, or “Your teeth will fall out” because they’ll cause anxiety. If you want to look after your health and the health of your family, now’s the time to think about all the advantages that healthy habits can bring. Your kids will thank you for it in the future.
