It is certainly not easy to raise a healthy and happy family, particularly with all of the challenges presented with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are a number of steps that you can take as a parent to increase the odds that your kids stay healthy both now and in the future. Here are five ways that you can help your children to maintain their health.
Make Meal Time Family Time
Mealtime offers a vast amount of opportunities to improve the health of your family. Choosing a wide array of whole foods as the cornerstone of your meal planning will ensure that all of your kids’ nutritional needs are being met. As with most things in life, balance and moderation are key. While you never want to completely forbid foods, you should encourage your kids to make healthy food choices the majority of the time.
Mealtime is more than just the food that you put on the table. You should also use this sacred time to connect with your children emotionally and learn more about what is going on in their lives. Byinvolving your children in meal planning and preparation, they will also be more likely to eat healthy foods in your kitchen.
Encourage Physical Activity
One of the best things that you can do to support your child’s health is to encourage physical activity. Note that this activity does not have to be structured. Free play time outside can do your child wonder of good. While there is certainly a benefit to be had with organized sports, sometimes it is more beneficial to simply encourage your child to run around outside.
Making exercise a family activity is also a great idea. Not only will encourage physical exercise, but it will also build family bonds at the same time. You will get bonus points if you do the exercise outside so that you get the benefits provided by fresh air and sunshine.
Focus on Mental Health
Many parents are so concerned about their child’s physical health that they neglect their mental health. This is particularly important as the COVID-19 health crisis drags on, isolating many children and affecting their emotional well-being.
Depending on the age and maturity of your child, you may want to consider encouraging them to journal. Finding healthy releases for your child will also go a long way in helping them to navigate difficult times in their life. It is important to let kids truly feel their feelings. By respecting their emotions, you send the signal to them that what they feel and think is important.
Make Sleep a Priority
Today’s kids are busier than ever. It is more important that you make sleep a priority for your child than signing them up for yet another activity. Even teenagers need to get up to 10 hours of sleep each night. Without the right amount of sleep, your child is likely to get sick more often because their immune system will not be functioning at optimal levels.
As a parent, you can do your part by making sure that your kids have a comfortable sleeping environment. This means limiting their exposure to screens at least two hours before bedtime. The blue light that comes off of these screens can disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, turning sleep cycles upside-down.
Creating habits early in life will yield long-lasting results in the future. You can set the groundwork now for a lifetime of healthy choices for your children as they grow up.
