I recall when my little boy was 4 and played soccer with a group one morning. It was so energizing to see him running and happy for 60 minutes, getting his heart rate up, building muscles, and enhancing his confidence. In any case, at that point, a parent and came over and provided doughnuts and sugary beverages as a reward.
This can send a contradicting message and difficult habit to change because it will give the impression that “I can reward myself with fat and sugar after physical action”.
This might be one reason why many grown-ups experience the ill effects of weight issues and appear to be associated with eating desire that is unhealthy and affect the overall wellbeing. However, there are several ways to break this example and set our children up for progress.
My sole inspiration for staying in shape and healthy is to be the best good example for my children keeping in mind the end goal to give them the opportunity, education, and love I never had. For me, that is a convincing motivation to remain fit all the time.
Children model what they see. Therefore, I do my exercises in front of them as much as possible. They’re curious and always try to follow what I’m doing. It also creates the chance to answer questions from my 4-year-old like, “Daddy, why do you do that?” I can reply, “Because I love you and want you to be strong and healthy so we can do great things together!” Or, I can show my sons how fit and balance will help them be better athletes, which will increase their confidence on and off the track.
We can make physical activity and eat healthy fun, by getting outside with them or dirty on the floor and teach them the benefits of eating healthy, in a way that makes sense to them. You’ll run and jump higher making you a better athlete, and have more mind power to score on an exam. Instilling your child with the habit of eating well and being physically active is a great gift to give them.
1. Be a great role model
Get excited about looking and feeling great and share that enthusiasm with your child. Complaining about having to eat salad and hating exercise teaches your child that they should feel the same, that’s not what we want. When introducing them to a new food, say something like, “You’re not going to believe how good this tastes”, or “I learned this really cool new stuff, do you think you can do it?” Remember, your child pay attention to everything you say and do, even when you think they don’t. Every meal and activity is an opportunity to teach them about living well and eating healthy.
2. Teach them to eat for a purpose
Telling them to eat and exercise to be healthy only scratch the surface. Instead, ask them what they love most and what they want to accomplish in life. When they tell you they love to play soccer, dance, solve math equations or be with friends, tell them how eating certain foods can help them be smarter, faster, stronger and more confident. Educate your child about how poor foods and poor lifestyles will hurt them, and tie it into real-life examples. Relate it to people they know who are sick or ill because of their lifestyle choices. This can be done respectfully and indiscriminately.
3. Teach them about serving sizes and food labels
I don’t know about you, but I was never taught what a serving size was and why it’s important. Teach your child to read food labels so they are less likely to eat overeat. This will also educate them to make choices on their own. They will soon be able to ascertain how much food is sufficient. Tell them to take the serving size out of the package and then put the remainder away, or order one pizza slice and if they’re hungry they can have more. Also, teach them to identify ingredients they should avoid. Things like refined sugars, trans fats, artificial colors and additives, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.
4. Include them in decision-making
When shopping for your groceries, or planning family activities, ask them what foods they want and what they like to do. Depending on their answer, steer them toward healthier alternatives like fruits instead of tidbits. Plan real-life adventures to substitute for TV and video games. Always give them a choice but make sure the choices align with good health. This will give an impression that they have a voice and are part of the family to live a healthy lifestyle.
5. Let them help cook or design a fitness program
Are afraid of the mess your kids can make to the kitchen? Get over the stress of a messy kitchen and let your child help prepare meals. They love to get their hands on ingredients and it’s an opportunity to teach them about nutritional value. After all, cooking is a good skill to learn, as they become an adult and live on their own. Include them in making grocery lists and meal decisions while guiding them toward healthy foods. Let them plan what physical activity they want to do like obstacle courses or push up contests. Let them tap into their creative minds and support their decisions.
6. Supplement them with what they lack
Most of the time, we can never have sufficient nutrients in our diet. We may lack certain nutrients in our body due to the type of food we eat. Hence, it is important to supplement our child with vitamins or supplements early in their life. Choosing the best brain supplements is one of the most crucial components in their growth and mental health. Before deciding a supplement, always read the ingredients in them and ensure they are manufactured in an FDA registered facility. A reputable company such as Nootrolux manufactures their supplements in the United State. This will give you a peace of mind of what you are consuming or giving your child.
7. Be a Cheerleader and Give Them a Choice & Voice
Lastly, the best way to get kids to be “healthy” is to lead by example. Show and tell them why to eat healthy food for fuel and train your body for strength and endurance; they get it. Make a healthy lifestyle fun and appealing instead of complaining about diets and exercises we hate.
Also, here are some ‘Quick & Easy School Recipes’ to try.
Shawn Owen is an entrepreneur, digital marketing consultant at alphapeak.co and globetrotter. He writes in-depth guides about SEO/SEM and social media to teach e-commerce store owners ways to manage, grow and scale their business on his blog.
Over the years, Shawn has developed a passion to improve cognitive functions by making simple lifestyle changes such as incorporating memory exercises and healthy eating. His main aim is to provide practical tools that young people can use to better understand and maintain positive mental health.
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