EBN-There are many healthy habits that parents should instill in their children at a young age that will benefit them throughout their lives and help them grow into healthy, active individuals with a higher quality of life. As a result, as a mother, you play an important role in introducing and acclimating your child to healthy lifestyles from a young age. Applying these habits from an early age may help your child perform his daily tasks and activities without obstacles, including studying, socializing, playing with friends at school, and achieving better academic achievements and grades. The following, according to the “raisingchildren” website, are healthy habits that should be taught to children at an early age.
eat healthy foods
Good nutrition is important for children’s growth and development, and children should be taught to eat different types of healthy foods from an early age, such as:
Vegetables and fruits: as sources of vitamins and fiber.
Protein: from meat, fish, eggs and nuts; for muscle and tissue growth.
Healthy carbohydrates: such as rice, whole wheat bread, and sweet potatoes as a source of energy.
Milk and its processed products: for healthy bones and teeth.
Therefore, it is recommended to prepare healthy school meals for your child to enhance his health and achieve better academic performance. One of the challenges that students face during long school days is the need to eat quick and nutritious meals to help them concentrate, and you can involve your child in preparing these meals.
You may be interested in learning about the diet rules that should be followed for young children.
Don’t skip breakfast
Establishing a regular eating routine in childhood can help your child become more likely to adopt regular eating habits as an adult.
On the other hand, you should not neglect to provide a healthy breakfast for your child before he goes to school, as it has many benefits, such as stimulating the brain, and giving the child energy and focus throughout the school day. Your child’s breakfast should contain a large percentage of high fiber, such as oats, vegetables and fruits, which may help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
spending time with friends
Friendships are essential for the healthy development of school-age children. Playing with friends teaches children valuable social skills , such as communication, cooperation, and problem solving. Having friends can also affect their performance in school, so encourage your child to develop a variety of friendships and play with friends a lot. This will help them improve life skills that will be useful in the future.
positive thinking
It’s easy for kids to get frustrated when things don’t go as expected, so help them learn to be resilient when they face setbacks. Showing them the importance of staying positive and developing a more rational way of thinking and looking at things will help them be likeable, unique, and able to solve their problems, no matter what challenges they face.
Regular physical activity
An active lifestyle is important for maintaining children’s physical and mental health, as it gives them stamina and helps them maintain an ideal body weight.
So encourage your children to do some outdoor activities; such as cycling, running or playing ball, limit screen time, encourage them to move more, and you should be a role model; by actively exercising with your children.
Reading daily
Developing strong reading skills is crucial to a child’s success in school because it helps build children’s self-esteem, relationships with parents and others, and success later in life. Parents can make reading activities part of bedtime playtime. Daily reading activities for children can begin as early as 6 months of age. Help your child choose books they like so that reading becomes a fun activity rather than a chore.
Maintain personal hygiene
Children’s health is greatly affected by personal hygiene. Teaching your child hygiene habits from childhood may help protect him from contracting some diseases. The most important hygiene rules that should be taught to the child are as follows:
Wash hands before eating and after playing to avoid infection with some types of bacteria and viruses. He must be accustomed to washing his hands properly for at least 20 seconds.
Brush your teeth twice a day; in the morning and in the evening before bed.
Bathe regularly, at least twice a day.
Trim your child’s nails regularly so that they do not become a place for germs to grow.
get enough good sleep
Adequate sleep is very important for children’s growth and development, especially during the school year. Lack of sleep can have an impact on a child’s immune system, so it is recommended to create a consistent sleep routine every day for your child, and avoid using electronic devices before bedtime; as they can disrupt the quality of your child’s sleep.
Controlling emotions
Mental health is just as important as physical health. Children need to be taught how to recognize and manage their emotions from an early age so that they can grow into calmer, more confident individuals. Here are a few ways to do this:
Teaching children to express their feelings with words.
Helping the child deal with difficult situations calmly.
Encourage children to do activities that help manage stress, such as drawing, playing music, or telling stories.
Finally, it should be noted that teaching healthy habits at an early age will provide long-term benefits to children, and parents will play an important role as role models in forming these healthy habits and creating a supportive environment. It will be easier for children to apply healthy habits in their daily lives.
