Tips On Raising Healthy Kids - Healthy Kids Begin With Healthy Parents

Want to raise a healthy kid?  Take the time to be a good role model.  Here are some useful tips to help you.

There’s no doubt about it, healthy kids begin with healthy parents.  As a parent, regardless of the words that come out of your mouth, it is your actions that your children really pay attention to.   You can profess up and down how strongly you believe that good nutrition is vital for their health and development, if you’re sitting on the couch with your hand in a bag of chips, they’ll get the message that you don’t want them to hear.  “These chips are better than an apple any day.”

If you want them to eat a good breakfast, then prepare a good breakfast and sit down with them.  You want your children to make healthy choices when they are away from you at school and their friend’s homes.

Help your child develop healthy habits by:

•    Asking them to assist with the meal preparation and shopping.
•    Ask them to plan and prepare their sack lunches for school.
•    Ask them to choose the menu one evening each week.
•    Learn about nutrition and healthy habits together.

Once your children know what foods are good for their bodies, and they feel the results, they will begin to make better choices about what they put into them.  However, they won’t learn how to make those healthy choices, and they won’t be interested in making them, unless your actions support the habits.

Things you can do to reinforce your child’s healthy habits:

•    Take time to fill the house with healthy snacks
•    Don’t drink soda and eat junk food while forbidding your child to eat it
•    Do offer dessert night or special occasions where you and your child can enjoy a treat
•    Do engage your child in the planning and preparation of meals

When you take time to become a health conscious role model for your child, you benefit too.  You and your child will have more energy, you’ll feel happier, stronger, and when you prepare meals together you’ll share bonding moments that will last a lifetime.

Hope you find these tips useful.

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