Developing Lifelong Healthy Habits for Your Children

According to a study, parents have a significant amount of influence over their children’s behaviour. This applies to both eating and physical activity. According to the survey, parents outrank sports celebrities as the person their child “wishes to be the most.”

As a result, teach your children how to live a healthy lifestyle. Being a good role model for your children will help them learn to make healthier food choices and engage in regular physical activity.

Embrace the Family Concept

Family dynamics can influence a child’s health in a positive (or negative) way. Family closeness, flexible parenting, a supportive home environment, and mind-stimulating activities are among the family patterns that appear to be most linked to health. On the other hand, children are less likely to engage in healthy behaviours if their parents are overprotective and possessive.

Encourage good habits.

Aim for balance and transparency when it comes to food and mealtimes. To encourage participation, involve your children in meal planning, shopping, and preparation.

Create a warm and open family environment at mealtimes by encouraging fair attitudes toward feeding. The same can be said for physical activity. Assist your children in understanding that they are a part of the team and that health and fitness is a family affair. Allow your child to choose a family activity on a rotating basis.

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Maintain a Balanced Diet

Don’t use food as a reward, and don’t exclude certain foods. Giving a child a cookie for finishing his or her homework, for example, can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.

Foods that are labelled as “bad” or forbidden only increase a child’s desire for them. Parents who restrict their own eating — “restrained” eaters — may not realise they are exerting such extreme control over their children’s eating habits, which can lead to childhood obesity.

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Don’t force yourself to eat.

Children’s appetites change as they grow. Don’t force them to clean their plate if they’re full. Also, don’t make kids stay at the dinner table until they’ve eaten all of their vegetables. Though this may appear to help your children get the nutrition they require, these behaviours can actually cause them to dislike certain foods and associate mealtime with negative feelings.

Make regular family activities a priority.

Forceful tactics may also apply to strict exercise rules: children may end up exercising less as a result of the rules. Encourage children to participate in an after-school sport instead (when available).

Alternatively, make it a family affair: Take your kids to the park to walk, jog, inline skate, or play catch when the weather permits. Count how many times the dog stops or how many rabbits or squirrels the dog sees while walking the dog.

According to research, parents can have a positive impact on their children’s development and behaviour, especially in the early years. So, engage with your children and model yourself after the person you want them to become!