It's no small feat raising children to be healthy adults. We do our best to make sure they eat their fruits and vegetables, move enough and get enough sleep; but what happens when they have grown into tweens, teens and adults and we've done most of the work for them? It's important for kids to understand what makes a healthy kid (and in turn a healthy adult). Giving them the education and knowledge they need is empowering! The best part is, it isn't hard.
Over the years, teach your kids why it is important to be healthy in mind and body and what they can do to help themselves.
1. Sleep. Kids rarely want to sleep when we want them to, but do they know why they need so much sleep? Sleep is when brains rest, bones and muscles grow, wounds heal and our bodies fight infection. Without enough sleep, our bodies can't do the necessary work they need to do to keep us healthy and grow big and strong.
2. Eat food from the earth. Instead of teaching kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, what if we teach them to eat growing foods? Foods that grow from the earth also help our body grow. That makes a lot of sense to me and offers a visual that kids can understand. These foods are fruits and vegetables, but also whole grains and animals that nourish themselves from the earth, as opposed to processed feed.
3. Water. Almost every kid has learned that our bodies are made up of over 70% water. But what does that mean? When my kids get sweaty, it's easy to teach the water lesson. I tell them, "See all of this water that is leaving your body? You need to replace it!" These little lessons start to add up on the "whys" and turn into action.
4. Movement. Adults think of exercise differently than kids. We think about gym memberships and early morning runs while kids don't even think about it! They play chase, freeze tag, climb the monkey bars, play kickball with their friends and go to gymnastics and soccer lessons. They ride bikes, scooters and chase dogs. While it is easy to get kids to exercise, it's also important to teach them that movement is important for their health. Moving helps blood flow better which means a strong heart, strong muscles, and a strong brain!
5. Be a good friend. Friends are everything, especially to kids. Being a good friend means making good friends. Friendships mean playdates and companionship that fuels the heart and mind. When we think of our kids' health, we think of their physical being, but their emotional and mental health is just as important as their physical health.
