Teach These Four Healthy Habits to Your Kids

Photo by Valeria Ushakova from Pexels

As parents, our ultimate goal is the safety and well-being of our children. We consult our doctors, read parenting books and exhaust all possible resources to make sure we’re doing the right things. And doing everything for them is not enough. We must be able to instill in our kids important lessons that they will remember and use throughout their lives.

With all the different parenting styles emerging and new information available out there, it can be pretty confusing to determine which things we should prioritize teaching our kids. But when it comes to health, there are some habits that are universally deemed as important. Being a parent myself, I’ve found that there are four main things that I should follow and implement to ensure my children’s well-being and prevent them from being sick.

Whether you read it on a website or consult a health practitioner, these four healthy habits always make the cut:

Drinking a lot of water

 

From blood circulation and cell growth to proper digestion and supporting the immune system, it’s a universal truth that our bodies would not function well without water. Dehydration or the lack of water in the body has serious health risks such as heat stroke, urinary and kidney problems, even headaches and constipation.

Educate your kid with the importance of drinking water and train him to make it his go-to drink. At six months, babies are allowed a little bit of water to go with their solids. So before you introduce juices and other sugary drinks in his diet, make sure that he has a good habit of drinking water first. Teach him to drink one glass of water after every meal. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends drinking a glass of water before, during and after any physical activity to replace the fluids that were lost, and even more in hot, humid weather conditions.

Being physically active

 

Exercise has so many beneficial effects on our children’s bodies including improvement of their mental and emotional health, sharpening their motor skills, strengthening bones and muscles, and lowering the risk of life-threatening illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

The AAP recommends at least 60 minutes of physical activity for children ages 6 and up. But as early as age 1, you can help your child develop a love for exercise and being physically active. Take him for a walk every morning or go to the playground. Simple exercises such as running and jumping are fun for kids too. When he’s big enough, introduce him to a sport and teach him some stretching exercises.

If going outside is not an option right now, you can still enjoy some physical activities indoors like doing kids Yoga or dance workouts on YouTube.

Teaching your child to be physically active will also lessen the risks that prolonged exposure to technology has on most kids today.

Hand Hygiene

 

According to the World Health Organization, our hands are the main pathways for germ transmission. A lot of bacteria and infectious diseases can be passed through handshakes or touching dirty surfaces.

With a communicable virus affecting millions of people around the world today, never has proper handwashing been more important. Teach your child to wash his hands with soap and water before and after meals, after using the toilet, after he coughs or sneezes and every time he comes home. Aside from washing his hands, tell him to refrain from rubbing his eyes or touching his face, and putting his fingers in his mouth when his hands are dirty to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Getting enough rest

 

After a long day, all we want is to rest our tired bodies and get some sleep. Well, not for our kids. They want to use up all their energy before they can say they’re ready for bed. But the AAP recommends a guideline of adequate sleep duration for different age groups for children to ensure their optimal health. This is because getting enough sleep leads to general wellness and improved quality of health, and lack of it can cause physical illness and behavioral problems to name a few.

Establishing a bedtime routine for your child is essential to develop a good sleeping habit. Setting a regular time for bed is the first step. Don’t wait for your baby to be yawning or throwing tantrums before you put them to bed. Other suggestions include turning off the TV and all screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime (or not putting those gadgets in your kid’s bedroom in the first place), taking a relaxing bath, reading a book and setting up the room (lighting) to be conducive to sleeping.


They may sound simple, but it’s essential for your child to acquire these healthy habits at an early age so they can stay fit and have a generally well-balanced life. Proper education, training, and modeling are key so that they can develop these valuable habits. It may require some effort on our part, but it’s worth it knowing that our kids will lead a healthy lifestyle in the long run.