Healthy Kids.

Developing Healthy Lifestyles for Kids

Don’t do this…Don’t do that…How many times have I told you…So help me if I get my hands on you...”  Many of us have caught ourselves saying things like this to our children. How many times have you said to yourself, “I can’t believe I just said that, I sound just like my parents”?  We all share characteristics of our parents. If you ever wonder how your kids are going to turn out, in many cases you have to look no further than a mirror. Kids are like sponges, and their nervous systems are innately designed to subconsciously mimic the behaviors of their parents. When I say behaviors, I mean not just what you say, but also what you do. They mimic your lifestyle. So it is incredibly important that you begin developing healthy lifestyle habits for your children early in life. The best way to accomplish this is for you to live a healthy lifestyle.

The requirements for developing a healthy lifestyle for your children (and, of course, yourself) can be summed up in three brief statements. To live a healthy lifestyle you must Be Fit, Eat Right, and Think Well. Let’s talk about how each one of these statements can be applied to our children.

Be Fit:  We have seen a drastic decline in physical activity of our children in recent years. Schools are cutting physical education and recess, over 20% of children in the U.S. are overweight, and we are now seeing type-2 diabetes in children—once only found in adults. It is imperative that we as parents take control. Encourage your children to take part in sports or physical activities offered by organizations in your community, such as the YMCA. Go on family outings that involve physical activity such as going for a walk, playing in the park, or hiking. Try geocaching, which is a fun treasure-hunting alternative to your normal everyday hike. Visit www.geocaching.com for more info. The bottom line is you have to be involved, be creative, and make physical activity fun.  Let your children know how important it is to be fit and active. If you are doing what is necessary to be fit, more than likely your children will too.

Eat Right:  When you’re at a restaurant and are ready to order for your children, you pick up the kids’ menu and what do you usually see?  Fried chicken strips, French fries, grilled cheese, PB&J, etc. Why do restaurants choose these foods for children?  Because the consumer demands them and these foods are cheap. Media and society in general have engrained in us that kids don’t like green stuff—no broccoli, salads, or any veggies to speak of. Proper nutrition is essential to a healthy lifestyle and for optimum development. If you put garbage in, you can only expect to get garbage out. Don’t fall into the trap of believing your children won’t eat the green stuff. If you start them out early in life with the right foods they will tend to eat healthy foods as adults. Rather than feed my infant children processed baby food, which many times tastes nothing like the real thing, my wife and I chose to feed them the foods we ate, mashed up of course. My kids’ favorite was avocados. Remember though, there are some foods to avoid due to allergies. A good resource for information on this is, The Baby Book, by Dr. William Sears.

Think Well:  Throughout most of our lives we have been taught by media, our mothers, fathers, teachers, and preachers to focus on what is wrong or what we don’t have, which has caused us to suffer from a common condition called Stinkin’ Thinkin’. Think back to Math 101, were we faced with math challenges or math problems? If we were to talk to someone else the way we talk to ourselves we would have very few friends. The biggest hurdle we face in being successful in life is our own mental attitude. In order for our children to be successful in life it is necessary for them to develop a positive mental attitude, which will cultivate a positive self-esteem. When you realize that thoughts are things and that the way you think determines the actions you take, which then determines your outcome and your reality, you realize that your unlimited potential lies in your ability to control your thoughts. Help your children develop a positive mental attitude through daily affirmations and visualizations. Read inspirational books, watch inspirational movies, and remove negative influences that contribute to Stinkin’ Thinkin’. A good book and movie to help drive this point home is The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. Also a good children’s book to help develop positive daily affirmations is I Am a Lovable Me! Affirmations for Children by, Sharon Penchina & Dr. Stuart Hoffman.