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If your family is like many others, you’re constantly busy and simply trying to make it through the day, accomplishing your goals. You understand the importance of cultivating your child’s health and well-being, but you’re overwhelmed by the prospect of teaching your child how to make healthy choices. After all, how are you supposed to show them the way when you struggle to make mindful decisions yourself?
Fortunately, there are many practical strategies for teaching your child to make healthy choices that you can implement despite how busy you are. The Visionetics Institute presents a guide to help instill these critical values in your child.
Evaluating your home environment is an excellent place to start. You spend most of your time there, so why not make changes that promote healthy habits and decision-making? For instance, you can regularly declutter each room and space and establish a schedule for cleaning every surface. When cleaning, opt for DIY natural cleaners. These are easy to make at home and safer to use.
House plants can also go a long way in improving the atmosphere and health of your living environment. Stocking your refrigerator with filtered water and nutritious foods can make a big difference too.
While you’re at it, research chairs and other furniture that can help your family maintain good posture throughout the day. Spinal health is critical, and children are much more likely to avoid back pain and other issues as adults when they learn good habits early on.
Regular doctor visits, whether or not you feel ill, are vitally important. Doctors can help catch a medical issue before it becomes a major problem and help you get back to health when you are taken ill. However, seeing the doctor regularly relies on good medical insurance, which can be tricky to come by if you’re a freelancer. If you freelance, be sure to explore the ACA healthcare exchange to find the best insurance options for you and your family.
Nutrition must be a priority in your household if you stay healthy. And to ensure everyone eats healthy, your kids must understand the importance of doing so.
Think of practical steps to instill good eating habits in your kids (and yourself). Maybe you could keep more fruits, nuts, and other nutritious items in the kitchen for your children to grab.
Maybe you could limit the chips, frozen meals, and other unhealthy foods they consume weekly. Making smoothies every day can also do wonders for boosting health and teaching your kids good habits; plus, they’ll have more energy for the day!
Further, consider taking up meal prep. This discipline has become increasingly popular because it enables families to eat more nutritiously and makes weekdays more convenient. Set aside two to three hours on the weekend to list out healthy meals and snacks, get groceries, and prepare your foods in containers. During the week, you and your kids can simply grab the containers from the fridge for a quick meal or snack.
When you’re shopping for groceries, make sure you understand how to read nutrition labels. And teach your kids how to read them. Learning how much sugar and fat content is in each item can prove helpful when your kids become adults. Plus, you can teach them about serving sizes and healthy portions.
Physical movement is crucial for children and adults alike. And the earlier your kids learn the habit, the better equipped they will be to stay healthy. Look for fun family workouts to do together. Maybe it’s a dancing tutorial on YouTube or a light interval training program you can do in the backyard.
Perhaps it’s going for a walk or a jog after school. Consult a walk score map to find the best places nearby. The key is getting your kids used to engaging in physical activity at least four days a week.
Six months from now, you will either have six months of excuses or six months of progress. The choice is yours. Let us help you by designing a personalized 6-month success and growth plan based on your strengths, personality, and goals.
Finally, ensure your kids know how important it is to get good rest each night. Come up with nightly routines that help your children unwind from the day’s activities so they can fall asleep faster and experience fewer disruptions throughout the night. And establish a firm bedtime to help foster their sleep cycles.
It’s hard enough to develop good habits and make intelligent decisions as an adult. And the sooner you start teaching your kids how to make healthy choices, the easier it will be for them to live well in their adult years. Keep the tips above in mind as you guide your family to healthy living, and remain open to other strategies you can incorporate along the way.
For help defining your vision and dreams to achieve your goals, visit The Visionetics Institute or the Official page for Dr. Rick Wallace today!