5 healthy habits all children should learn from their parents

Parents have many responsibilities, regarding taking care of their kids. An important responsibility is teaching them ways to optimise and maintain good health, according to Body + Soul.

The best way to be a good parent is simply the power of example! Yet, there are still some things parents have to advise their kids about:

1. Healthy eating

Provide regular, well-balanced, nutritious food and also delicious meals and snacks. Make sure the healthy food is a constance in your kid's life - both at home and at school. Don't ever force kids to eat, when they are not hungry, nor insist to keep eating more (don't ask for ‘clearing the plate’). When they already feel full and satisfied, it's better not to push them. In the same time, if they are hungry, please make sure you are able to fix something quick and healthy! Eating tiny amounts of food, at regular intervals throughout the day, is crucial for weight management, in the long-term.

2. Encouraging regular, enjoyable physical activity

Provide regularly a variety of opportunities for kids to be active in ways they find pleasurable, challenging and fun. Having a back yard to run around in is ideal; Make sure to give your kids safe access to a trampoline, park or pool, a basketball or netball hoop or bicycle and bike track or even just a ball and a bit of pavement to play handball or hopscotch on. Some kids might need encouragement, while others have to be educated in an active lifestyle. Restricting access to computers, consoles and television may be necessary if your child is prone to prolonged or excessive use of these entertainment technologies.

3. Having a healthy mindset

It's vital to have insight into one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours, because the impact these have on our lives is something that develops over time. The nature of this development will vary enormously from one individual to the next. Generally speaking, it is important to be largely positive and encouraging towards our kids as well as to be aware of any negative self-talk they may be engaging in, habitually or otherwise. Non-specific praise tends to be less helpful than specific and timely acknowledgment and positive recognition of individual instances of effort and achievement.

4. Maintaining a good hydration
Encourage your kids to consume sufficient water to maintain good hydration. But don't put a target on how many glasses of water the kids need. This all depends on factors such as sweating (related to themperature, climate, level of physical activity) and food intake (eating predominantly dry foods vs. a lot of water-based foods like soups or jelly for example).

5. Not smoking, not drinking and not taking drugs

It's best if you as parents can set an example by not smoking, drinking to excess or taking drugs. If you currently do, start working on quitting, as soons as possible. Talk to your kids about how these unhealthy habits can be detrimental, not to mention highly addictive and expensive. Keep an eye out for situations where your child may be exposed to negative influences in this regard and discuss how they can make responsible decisions for themselves and deal with peer pressure assertively.