Living a fulfilled, healthy and happy life is something you have always wanted for yourself and your children. Transforming these wishes into fruition is also something you have carefully considered too. How can you carve out positive habits for your child now so that they remain fit and healthy in the future? Raising physically healthy and mentally strong children will help them to achieve so much more in the future. As a parent, you always want to promote healthy living at home so that they can take this knowledge and feel empowered to make the right choices in all aspects of their life. Consider the following seven long-term ideas to keep your child healthy and you will soon have an active, healthy and mentally strong youngster who is ready to face anything life throws their way!
- Morning Yoga At Home
What better way to kickstart your morning than following an online yoga tutorial in the comfort of your own home? This is something you can get involved in with your child and show them exactly how it’s done! Even if you’ve never tried yoga before, you can reap the rewards after just a couple of tries. Yoga helps to build your strength, increases flexibility and it is also a very mindful activity which will set your day off to a positive start every time!
- Gymnastics Classes
Gymnastics is not only a great way to encourage your child to stay fit and healthy all year round, but it’s also a brilliant opportunity to be sociable and make new friends. Enrolling your child in local gymnastics classes can build their confidence, agility, strength, flexibility and social skills all at the same time. Most of all, your child will have a lot of fun mixing with other youngsters their age and learning new skills along the way. Many little ones benefit from gymnastics as it’s also a great form of discipline and it teaches them to follow instructions during their classes too.
- Cook Together In The Kitchen
Serving up a delicious dinner each evening may be something that everyone in your household is very used to by now, but could you get your child involved in the process? Encouraging them to cook with you will show them what it means to eat healthily and fill your plate with nutritious ingredients. You could even go one step further and grow your own herbs, and vegetables in your garden so you can add them to your pan and cook them yourself!
- Cut Down on Screen Time
In the modern day, screen time is one of the biggest causes of harm to health and it can quickly affect the overall wellbeing of your child too. Limiting screen time for your child is so important as it can stop them from doing other things such as being active, eating healthy and spending time forming friendships. Limit their time in front of the television to around one hour a day and encourage them to play outside, get creative with arts and crafts and help you around the house. This is a surefire way to ensure they’re active, healthy and living a well-rounded lifestyle.
- Encourage Healthy Sleep Schedules
Getting a good night’s sleep plays a huge role in living a healthy lifestyle overall. If your child doesn’t go to bed at a decent time each evening, this type of routine needs to change otherwise it can start to affect their physical health and concentration. Try to start a calming wind-down routine to help them feel relaxed and ready for bed. They could have a bath, read a book or sing a calming song to help them chill out and get ready for some much needed shut eye. Depending on the age of your child, you may want to adjust their bedtimes accordingly so that they are getting enough hours in the evening before they have to get up in the morning.
- Write in a Gratitude Journal
If you have never written in a gratitude journal, now would be the ideal time to start. Not only because it’s great for your health, but also because you can show your child how to do it for themselves. Obviously, you need to ensure that you tailor their gratitude practices to their age range, so they are writing down or talking about things that are meaningful to them at that point in time. When your children are encouraged to write lists of what they’re grateful for, they are doing so much good for their mental health. Starting a gratitude journal is easier than you think, and it will help them to form healthy habits for their emotional wellbeing.
- Lead By Example
Your children will learn from you and pick up from your habits, so it’s important to show them what it’s like to live a healthy lifestyle. Leading by example is so important as it helps to mold your children’s minds from an early age. They will copy the behavior you show to them, so it’s very important to adopt healthy habits into your lifestyle too. Whether you’re trying out a new workout routine, or you’re filling your plate with healthy and nourishing foods, your child will soak in every habit that you form so think carefully before you turn into a couch potato!
Raising children is truly one of the most challenging, yet rewarding tasks you can do in your lifetime. Allowing them to make the right choices from a young age and setting a great example will help them to learn all about the basics of an active and healthy lifestyle right away. You can never start too young when it comes to promoting healthy living, especially with regards to exercise, social activities and nutritious eating habits. All of these valuable life skills will help them to make empowered decisions and feel knowledgeable about their health. If you’re making these considerations now, it’s safe to say you’re a wonderful parent who is paving the way for their children to have a bright future.
