15 HEALTHY HABITS TO TEACH YOUR KIDS FOR A BETTER LIFE

Parents can help their children develop healthy habits early in life that will bring them lifelong benefits. Checkout these top 15 healthy habits to teach your kids!

It is true, kids adapt what they learn from their parents. If you as a parent follow good habits like exercising, eating a well-balanced meal or being polite, your child will adapt that from you. As parents there is nothing more amazing than watching their kids lead a healthy and happy life. In this blog post, I will share with you all the top 15 habits that you should start to teach your kids from as early on as possible for a better life.

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15 HEALTHY HABITS TO TEACH YOUR KIDS

1. Keep a positive environment

This the most important healthy habit to instill not only for kids but for parents also. Instead of telling your child things like, ‘this is too hard’ or ‘you cannot do this’, you should try and encourage them by saying positive things. This small habit can help your child develop a positive attitude and can contribute to their well-being.

Related: Tips to help you become a more patient parent

2. Encourage your kids

The second most important thing to do from early on is to encourage your kids as much as you can and celebrate their small successes. It is very easy for kids to get disheartened and discouraged when things don’t do well for them. In these situations, if parents continue to stay positive and support their kids it can help them develop resilience, healthy self-esteem and prepare them for challenges in life ahead.

Related: How to raise happier babies

3. Limit screen time

In today’s growing digital world, it is very easy for kids to get sucked into their phones and tablets for long. Although the effects of too much screen time are not obvious right away, but they do affect your children. Too much screen time can impair brain structure and function, cause obesity due to sedentary lifestyle, mood swings and disturbed sleep due to bad dreams. As parents, it is important to keep screen time in check by allocation a fixed time a day to allow your kids to watch TV and stick with that routine. This healthy habit can teach your kids the benefits of leading a balance life in the long way.

4. Introduce reading habit in your little one from early on

Encourage reading habits in your little one from early on is one of the best habits that can pass on to your kids. Early exposure of reading to your baby from when they were just a few weeks old has found to have long lasting influence on their learning throughout their life. Reading can help your child develop background knowledge about their world, which helps them make sense of what they see, hear and experience. Reading as a habit develops slowly. Start small by reading for 10-15 minute to your baby and slowly encourage them to spend time with their story books for a few minutes before bedtime to form a habit.

Related: How I introduced reading to my 3-month-old baby

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5. Eat breakfast in the morning

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Making your kids have a healthy breakfast packed with fruits and veggies can help them kick start their day with full energy, help them stay strong and also help keep many illnesses at baby. Some great options for a healthy breakfast for kids are.

• Eggs & toast
• Cereals & fruits
• Peanut butter sandwiches & milk

Related: 5 Recipe ideas for your growing toddler

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Related: Green smoothie

6. Encourage outside play

The benefits of playing outside with your kids may not be visible right away but it does influence greatly in the overall character building and psychological development of your child. Spending a few hours, a day outside helps your kid become more creative, develop social skills by interacting with other kids around and it’s also a great way to bond with your little one.

Related: Benefits of playtime with kids

7. Make eating colorful

It is very important to make your kids eat as balanced a meal as possible packed with the right vitamins and proteins. It is recommended to always have a small side of fruits and veggies with each meal of the day. You can encourage your kid by making their meal plate as colorful as possible, think grapes (green), apple (red), banana (yellow), eggplant (purple) which can convert into a small game for your kids and hence motivate them to eat healthier. This habit can help them develop their taste buds and can teach them to pick healthier food options in the long run.

8. Pick enjoyable physical habits

Introducing physical activities like swimming, walking, cycling to your kids is very important. It can help them in their physical growth as well as self-esteem. You can pick some fun activities that you can all do as a family that can help you enjoy some good family time together as well as help you bond with your kids.

Related: Tips to keep your baby cool in the car seat this summer

9. Enjoy a family dinner

Spending some quality time as a family at the end of the day can help the entire family bond and share their day with each other but it also helps your child develop a sense of belonging and makes them feel a part of the family. It can help your child feel loved, protected and more well-adjusted.

10. Follow a good routine

Routines are the base of any family. Having a good routine in place like morning routine, daytime routine and evening routine can help your kids know what they are up for next and which in turn can help keep a more positive and orderly environment at home. Less stress for parents!

Related: 10 reasons why routine in kids is important

11. Give them household chores and reward them

Giving your kids household responsibilities from early on, can help them feel included in the family, develop a sense of responsibility as well as confidence in being able to complete the tasks. You can start by giving your kids small chores like helping you load a dishwasher or putting their toys back in the bin. Also, you can give them small rewards like if they do a task for a month, they will get a small gift or a trip to the zoo. This can help them stay motivated to contribute to their household responsibilities.

12. Maintain hygiene

Instilling good hygiene in kids from the start is very important. It can teach them how to stay clean and healthy which can go a long way in forming a strong character building of who they become in the future. Also, it can protect them from diseases and infections that spread due to unhygienic conditions.

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13. Drink more water

As kids it is very common for them to get more attracted towards pop. Drinking too much of soda can set them up for unhealthy habits for life and obesity in later life. It is important to instill good drinking water habits in your child from early on. You can encourage this habit by making a small game out of it. You can set a small target and reward your child with simple coupon of love like hugs and kisses, once they are able to complete their target of drinking that much water in the day.

14. Brushing teeth twice a day

Teaching your kids to brush twice a day can help them keep their teeth healthy by keeping cavities from forming and tooth decay at bay. Also make sure to take your kids for their dentist visit to get regular cleanings every six months.

Related: Three must-have habits for your little one from an experienced one

15. Make friends

Lastly always motivate your kids to form positive and healthy friendships with kids around them. Encourage them to spend time with them playing outside or doing an indoor activity together. This can help your kids develop social skill, positive relationships with people and maybe form great friendships along the way.

Introducing healthy habits in your kids, is a responsibility of parents. Kids pick more than just genes from their parents. Teach your kids these healthy habits from early on and show them that you care and love them as much as possible. This will help them have a better and happy life!