Eating healthy foods and drinking enough water is very important for children. Teach them how to wash their hands properly.
Keep all medicines, chemicals, cleaning products and poisons out of their reach. Children often find a way to get into cupboards even when they are locked.
Don’t call medicine “candy”. Post emergency numbers on the refrigerator and teach kids what to say to 911 in an emergency.
Balanced Diet
A balanced diet provides the body with all the nutrients it needs. It also limits empty calories like those found in junk foods, which can bust daily calorie allowances.
Toddlers should eat small, frequent meals throughout the day and plan for two to three healthy snacks between main meals. These should provide a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat and vitamins and minerals.
Foods like nuts, low-fat yoghurt and fresh or frozen vegetables are healthy options for snacks. Avoid’sometimes foods’ such as cakes, cookies, lollies and chocolate, which are high in salt, saturated fat and sugar and low in fibre.
A balanced diet should fill half of a plate with fruits and vegetables, including nonstarchy vegetables, and a quarter with protein and grains. This should also include a limited amount of added sugar and fats. This helps prevent deficiencies in the body’s key nutrients, which can lead to learning development problems and illness. It also supports an ideal weight and promotes healthy bodily functions.
Physical Activity
Children are naturally vivacious creatures, so start encouraging physical activity early. Get your kids to take up a sport or physical activity they enjoy, such as running, swimming or playing basketball. Make sure they have the right footwear to minimise discomfort from sweating. Also encourage them to take part in warm-up and cool down activities and avoid long periods of sedentary screen time.
For kids aged 5 to 18 years, they should be physically active for a minimum of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity, which increases their heart rate. This can be a mix of activities like fast walking, riding a bike or scooter, playing, organised sports and dancing. They should also participate in activities that strengthen muscles and bones, including jumping, climbing, running and swimming.
As teenagers reach puberty, they should gradually increase the amount of time spent on vigorous-intensity exercise. They can also begin using weights if they are properly trained by a qualified adult and under supervision.
Hygiene
Children are susceptible to a lot of germs due to their active play and unwashed hands. To keep them clean and sanitized, kids should be taught to wash their hands properly after coming from outside and before eating. They should also be encouraged to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or handkerchief while sneezing or coughing to stop the spread of germs.
Bathing regularly helps maintain a healthy skin and removes dead cells, bacteria, head lice and body odour. In addition, they should be taught to use sanitisers on their hands before handling food and other household items to avoid contamination.
Hygiene is a learned behaviour, and most children learn it by watching their parents and older siblings. It’s best to start hygiene conversations early – ideally, before puberty – and to set a routine for showering, brushing teeth and washing their hands so that the habits become a part of daily life.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep has been linked to positive outcomes for children, including greater creativity and focus. Insufficient sleep in early childhood is a risk factor for obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure later in life.
It’s important to establish a consistent bedtime routine, even during holidays and weekends. Children should have a set time for bed and wake up that is the same each day, to help regulate their body clocks.
Insufficient sleep is linked to negative outcomes for kids, including poor concentration and moodiness. A lack of sleep can also impact a child’s appetite and increase their cravings for unhealthy foods. Kids who are deprived of sleep also have a harder time fighting off illnesses, and they tend to be more irritable.