Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Growing Children

We all know what we need to do to be healthy. From a young age, we’re told we need to eat right, exercise and spend time outside. However, children and adults alike struggle to stick to healthy routines. Children have an especially difficult time, since they’re still learning about how their decisions impact their lives. This is why they need a push from their parents to get moving in the right direction. Here’s how you can help your child form healthy habits.

Eating Well

First, make sure you don’t confuse eating well with dieting. Diets are unsustainable and focused on weight loss rather than healthy outcomes. Children especially need to be encouraged to be healthy — not to reach an ideal weight. Don’t use food as a punishment or a reward. Saying things like “you earned this brownie” or “pizza is a bad food” will give your child a confusing relationship with food. 

Start every day off with a healthy, filling breakfast that will carry your child over until lunch time. Pack their lunches with plenty of their favorite fruits and vegetables, satiating proteins and healthy fats. Have family meals together and at home as much as possible. Encourage healthy snacking, making sure there are always fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs like oatmeal bars or brown rice cakes around the house. Prepare fruits and vegetables ahead of time so they’re just as easy to eat as their pre-packaged counterparts.

Avoiding Empty Calories

Children eat candy and drink soda, whether you allow it or not. If you let your child have these things in moderation, they’ll learn how much is too much. Soda is a notorious “empty calorie” beverage, but fruit juices tend to have similar levels of added sugar. People go for sugary drinks and caffeinated drinks when they’re tired, and they’re often tired due to dehydration.

Make sure your child always carries a water bottle so they’re not tempted to drink unhealthy beverages. If they find water boring, shake things up with flavored water packets or make your own fruit waters and lemon waters for the week. Staying hydrated will also help to stave off hunger that’s caused by not drinking enough water. 

Being Active

Children require 60 minutes of physical activity every day to strengthen bones, develop muscle tissue, and create hand-eye coordination in their growing brains. This number is hard for some adults to remember; our bodies sometimes struggle with the recommended 30 minutes a day! The hour-long play window can be divided into 10- or 20-minute bursts.

Encourage your child to safely play outside, where they can get fresh air and sunlight. Riding a bike, walking around the block and going on hikes are all great ways to get active outdoors. See if your child wants to try out for team sports, which have the added benefit of social interaction. Setting regular schedules for physical activity will help you and your child incorporate it into your daily lives.

Limiting Screen Time

Removing televisions and games from bedrooms can make a huge difference. This gives children less opportunity to hide in their rooms or stay up late without their parents noticing. See if you can remove mobile devices from family meal times — for everyone, not just your child. Explain the benefits of reduced screen time, like better sleep and preventing obesity that could be caused by mindless eating. Most importantly, lead by example. This goes for all healthy habits, but it’s especially important with screen time, where many of us slip up.

Forming healthy habits while young can help children get ahead of the curve. Our Polk Catholic schools foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. We allow students to explore their faith at school and encourage them to do the same at home. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us online.