5 ways for parents to raise healthier children
As a parent, you have your children's health and safety as top priorities while raising them to be responsible adults.
Posted — Updated“As a parent, it’s important to practice what you preach when it comes to health,” says UNC Health pediatrician Edward Pickens, MD. “You are your child’s primary example of how an adult should behave.”
Here are five simple ways you can begin to teach your child the habits of a healthy life.
1. Maintain open lines of communication
“The absolute best thing you can do as a parent is to talk to your children and get to know them,” Dr. Pickens says. “From an early age, build the trust that they can tell you anything, including their mistakes.”
Dr. Pickens advocates that parents have regularly scheduled family meals to talk.
“These conversations can be a positive influence in the child’s life,” Dr. Pickens says. “It’s a time to encourage your child and support them in making healthy choices.”
“If you’re not regularly talking to your child, you have to create a special time to talk about safety, and then that conversation will be scary and uncomfortable for everyone,” Dr. Pickens says. “It won’t be as big a deal to discuss hard topics if you’re having ongoing conversations that include guidance on how to stay healthy and safe.”
In the teenage years, Dr. Pickens says it’s common for one parent to have more of the in-depth conversations related to puberty, hygiene and sex but that both parents should remain engaged in active communication.
“It’s key for parents to be completely open-minded and accepting of who their child is and what they want to say,” Dr. Pickens says. “If you shut down about a topic, the kid will have the conversation with someone other than you.”
2. Build a relationship with a pediatrician
“Parents are constantly adjusting to a new phase of their child’s life,” Dr. Pickens says. “Ongoing guidance from a pediatrician can help you know what to expect and what’s appropriate.”
Regular visits can help children build trust in their doctor and see the pediatrician’s office as a comfort zone, making the pediatrician an excellent ally in teaching healthy habits.
“A visit is an opportunity for both the child and the parent to ask questions and discuss what’s on their mind,” Dr. Pickens says. “Your pediatrician can help you have conversations about safety, making good choices and anything the child might be worried about.”
3. Encourage exercise and healthy eating habits
“This is also another reason to have a family meal,” Dr. Pickens says. “Make that time a priority, rather than eating fast food between activities.”
In fact, when the entire family does activities together — walking, hiking, bicycling, kayaking and playing in the park are healthy options — you can help your child get exercise while providing yet another opportunity for a bond-strengthening conversation.
4. Allow for unstructured time
Parents often feel the need to sign up their kids for a variety of activities so that they can socialize and learn skills. Dr. Pickens says it’s also beneficial for children to have time to do nothing.
“So many kids have no downtime,” he says. “Children have stress just like adults do, and if they’re doing something six or seven days a week, they don’t have a chance to decompress.”
Still, make sure your child has some unstructured time without screens.
5. Establish a sleep routine
You can prepare your child for sleep by establishing a bedtime routine that helps your child wind down.
Dr. Pickens says there’s no room for screens in sleep routines.
“Take away phones at bedtime,” he says. “You have to have a device-free bedroom. It will be hard for a child to go to sleep with a phone there.”
Similarly, children shouldn’t go to sleep while watching television or listening to music.
“TV or music might seem like they help you go to sleep,” Dr. Pickens says, “but they affect the quality of your sleep.”
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