If you would leave decision making to your
children they would probably spend their days eating candy and watching
cartoons. While there is nothing bad with candy and cartoons, it is your responsibility
to set a good example to your kids and help them implement healthier lifestyle
choice into their daily routines. Conducting a healthy routine every day is not
difficult and can even be a great and fun family activity. These are a few tips
that could help you encourage your child to some healthier lifestyle choices:
Physical
Activity
Being physically active plays a huge role
when it comes to proper development in children. Parents have that obligation
to introduce their kids to various sports and outdoor activities that would be
pleasing to them. This can be accomplished simply by creating outdoor family
weekends somewhere in the nature where your children would be able to run
freely, swim, play or practice any kinds of sports. Encourage your children to
enroll in their schools sports teams and try not to limit their choices. Also
fix up your backyard with hula-hoops, balls, trampolines, bicycles and similar
things that would make physical activity fun.
Healthy
Meals
There is no doubt that implementing a
healthy meal plan to your children is one of the most important things when it
comes to a healthier lifestyle. After all, there is a good reason why they say
that you are what you eat. If you wish for your children to start eating
healthier, make sure to always prepare healthy and nutritious meals, switch
their junk food with healthy snacks and encourage them to eat moderately.
Another great way to help them eat healthier is actually cooking together as a
family. This can be a great opportunity for them to learn about all the
nutritious properties of the foods they eat, develop some new skills and also
help you with some housework.
Extracurricular
Activities
When children have a lot of free time on
their hands they tend to spend it on cartoons, games, computers etc. While this
is not necessarily a bad thing, their time should be organized in a way they
would develop themselves more in certain spheres of life. Encourage your
children to enroll in some extracurricular activities in order to boost their
creative sides and intellect levels. There are various things that your
children could find suitable and interesting from foreign language courses,
through some creative contents up to sports activities. This is a great
opportunity for them to develop new skills, talents but also to establish new
friendships.
Play
Time and Study Time
Who says that studying cannot be fun? Many
parents believe that there should be a strictly specified time for when
children should play and when they should study. This is not necessarily true.
Children learn best through playing, and this is exactly why parents should create
such a simulating environment where their children will be encouraged and
motivated to study. Technology plays a huge role here, as it can be used as a great
learning method. There is a lot of educational content that can be found
online, alongside with great video games and TV shows that help children
develop their brain functions, different skills and creative sides.
Set
a Good Example
One thing that parents tend to forget is
the fact that your children look up to you. You are their role models and from
an early age they will mimic your behavior. This is why it is crucial to set a
good example to your kids by implementing healthier habits into your own lifestyle
first. This will motivate them to do the same and encourage them to be like
their parents.
The key to creating a healthy and
motivating surrounding for your children is showing them that healthy can
indeed be fun. Turn your bad habits into good ones and start implementing
healthy practices into your everyday lifestyle and soon you will see the
marvelous changes in the whole family.
About
author:
Tracey Clayton is a full time mom of three girls. She loves cooking, baking, sewing, spending quality time with her
daughters and organizing awesome parties in BoingCentral kids’ party places. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love
the life you live.”