Parenting 101: 4 Steps you Should Take to Bring up Healthy Kids

Being a parent is challenging but at the same time fulfilling. One of the standard replies parents give when asked what they want for their kids is to be happy. Bringing up healthy kids is vital in ensuring their happiness. Today, many children in America struggle with obesity due to their poor upbringing. Although both parents and children have busy schedules with work and school, the following are steps you should take to bring them up healthily.

Provide nutritional meals

When kids start weaning, it can take a while before they like or tolerate particular foods. However, the meals kids grow up enjoying depend on what you feed them during their early years. If they get used to sugary foods and junk, that’s what they’ll prefer over vegetables like broccoli. Bring up your kids while teaching the essence of consuming healthy diets, like fruits and vegetables. Consuming five servings of fruits and veggies every day can keep away obesity and cancer and is suitable for the heart.

Insist on physical activity

Today, there are various games for kids to enjoy their leisure time, some outdoor and others indoor. Unfortunately, in the efforts to take care of their children, many parents shield them from outdoor activities that result in a sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary living is a significant cause of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Raise healthy kids by insisting on safe physical activity. Allow them to engage in sports activities like football, hockey, skating, and even take them on swimming lessons for kids when it’s warm.

Protect your kids’ skin

Ultraviolet rays from the sun wreak havoc on people’s skin at any age, but for children, it is riskier. During a kid’s early years, the skin cells are still developing, and the outer layer is thinner than that of an adult. Damage due to harsh sun exposure increases the chances of developing cancer during their lifetime. Avoid exposing kids to the intense sun; however, the sun during sunrise and sunset is suitable for their health. At six months, make it a habit to apply sunscreen on their skin and minimize exposure by dressing them in protective clothing.

Enforce good sleep hygiene

When you have busy schedules, it’s tempting to delay your children’s bedtime so you can spend more time with them. However, this does more harm than good to their health. When kids fail to get a good night’s sleep, they are likely to be hyperactive; their school performance also goes down. According to Pediatrics, sleep deprivation in children affects the hormone leptin that signals them to stop eating. When leptin levels decrease, kids tend to eat more due to an increased appetite and hunger, leading to obesity.

Ensure your kids go to bed before nine o’clock at night and maintain a regular sleeping schedule while getting nine to eleven hours of sleep. If your kid has been sleeping after nine, you can still reverse this by switching to a regular and appropriate bedtime.

Kids and their health are your responsibility as a parent; don’t leave it to the babysitter or teachers. Keep your kids active during summer, feed them nutritious meals, protect their skin, and ensure they get enough and quality sleep.