Encouraging children to be active and healthy

Encouraging Children To Be Active and Healthy

As parents, there are many ways in which we can help our children stay active and healthy. Proper nutrition, engaging in physical activity and maintaining a positive mental outlook are essential parts of overall good health. Here are some ways to ensure you are supporting your child:

Create A Healthy Eating Environment

• Provide a variety of healthy foods and snacks at meal times.
• Talk positively about food and nutrition.
• Eat meals and snacks together as a family.
• Encourage healthy snacking with fruits and vegetables.

Encourage Physical Activity

• Take your child outside and do family sports, games, and walks.
• Consider enrolling your child in extra-curricular activities such as swimming, dance, or gymnastics.
• Encourage healthy competition and even encourage your child to do their daily chores, such as carrying out the garbage or mowing the lawn.

Demonstrate a Positive Mindset

• Focus on activities that your child enjoys, rather than on physical fitness.
• Define success as achieving one’s best, not necessarily finishing first.
• Praise effort rather than results.
• Educate your child not only on the physical benefits of being active, but also on the psychological benefits.

By encouraging healthy eating, physical activity and a positive mindset, parents can help provide a strong foundation for their child’s physical, mental and emotional well-being.