HEALTHY HABITS: 10 daily habits that changed my life (science-backed)
With each passing day, your child develops numerous physical and mental skills. As a parent, you always strive to do your best to ensure that your child learns and adopts healthy habits. Well, it’s not that difficult to inculcate healthy habits in your kids. The key point is that you do not just pass your genes to your baby, but healthy habits as well because your kid learns a lot from you. So, as a responsible parent, you should stick yourself to a healthy lifestyle and take care of your kid’s health and make them follow healthy habits.
Show your kids that you care for them by sharing these 10 healthy habits that they will follow throughout their lives:
1. Brushing twice a day
Dental hygiene is very important. Teach your kids how to brush and make your kids realize the importance of brushing the teeth twice a day right from their childhood. Kids tend to eat a lot, and hence they should have their teeth clean to prevent cavities. Also, teach them not to eat food after brushing their teeth at night.
2. Bathing every day
Teach them the hygienic importance of bathing and being neat and clean all the time. You can encourage this habit by using attractive bathroom tubs, soaps, shampoos and handy toys. Also, bathing twice a day should be instilled in the kids since their childhood to avoid entry of germs into their body.
3. Eat breakfast
Get your kid into a routine of breakfast-lunch-dinner to help them avoid unnecessary snacks right from the beginning. Teach your kids that breakfast is food for the “brain” and helps keep them to stay strong and prevent chronic diseases. Try making nutritious breakfasts by incorporating varieties of fruits and vegetables that helps your kid stay energetic and active for the whole day.
4. Hand wash
Hand wash undoubtedly tops the list when it comes to getting your kid adopt healthy habits. Therefore, make sure you explain the importance of washing hands. Teach your kids to wash hands after using the washroom, before eating food, after they come home from playing outdoors, to prevent infections. Do teach them to wash their hands with soap or liquid hand wash for at least 20 seconds.
5. Drink water, not soda
Keep the message simple by saying that water is healthy while soft drinks are not. Teach them that soft drinks contain too much sugar which is bad for them. Even if the kids don’t understand why sugar is not good for health, you can help them understand the important aspects of health. Sugar contained in soft drinks add no nutrients instead it adds up the unnecessary calories which may lead to several health problems. So make sure you teach this healthy habit to your kid.
6. Regular physical activities
Does your kid watch television for more than 2 hours everyday? If yes, then beware! Your kid is at risk of developing several health problems. Yes! This is true. Kids who watch television for more than 2 hours may develop several health problems like obesity, irregular sleep, and attention disorders. So, take them out and encourage your kid to find happiness in outdoor games or ask them to perform household activities like washing toys or gardening. Encourage them to play different sports and even if they don’t find any sports interesting, encourage them to try again and again and be active with them.
7. Read everyday
This is the age where your child develops different skills including reading. Help your child read, and reading out to them helps develop strong listening and reading skills to succeed at school and work in the later stages of life. Teach them all the stories they feel excited about and make reading a part of your child’s playtime and bedtime routines.
8. Family time
Family time is extremely important for a child. Make sure you have lunch or dinner together with your kid daily. This helps in better communication as they enjoy time with you and connect with them better. It also makes them feel important and loved.
9. Spend time with friends
Friends are very important to the healthy development of a child. Playing with good friends teaches your kids valuable social skills such as communication, cooperation and problem solving and also indirectly affects their performance at school. Encourage your kids to develop a good friendship and to play with such friends very often. This skill will set them up with life as they draw on for years to come.
10. Stay positive
Kids at this age get easily discouraged when things don’t happen in their way. Teach them the importance of staying positive with healthy self-esteem and a positive mindset by telling them that they are lovable and unique. This skill helps them a lot in their life no matter what challenges they encounter.
It is not always easy to encourage your child to follow healthy habits. But do not give up as it is your responsibility! Try hard to make them learn because following these tips may help your kid follow a healthy lifestyle right from the childhood.
