Top 5 Healthy Habits You Need To Instill In Your Kids

1. You are what you eat 

The quality and quantity of the food you eat play an essential role in your daily output. Instilling healthy habits in your kids will aid them in their present, but they will also reflect on their attitude towards life. Instilling healthy food habits for kids is a lifetime investment that will stay with your kids for the rest of their lives. 

• Quality - nutritional value: 100 grams of fruit will give you exponentially more nutrition than 100 grams of deep-fried potato chips. Instill a sense of choosing nutrition over taste in your kids, and you will not have to worry about diet again. Selecting plant-based nutrition, grains, and healthily prepared food is better than readily available fast food.
• Quantity - Instilling healthy food habits includes knowing how much food your child needs. It means - eating when they are hungry and stopping once they are full to prevent both undereating and overeating. The balance between gluttony and ensuring your kid gets all the required is crucial. Add a preference for healthy food to it, and it’s perfect.  

2. Exercise is important!

Exercise helps you keep your body healthy by achieving this purpose. It’s also beneficial for the brain due to endorphin and dopamine production. 

• Make it fun: Exercising is often seen as something tedious, but it doesn’t have to be. Get your kids involved in physical activities they enjoy - sports, yoga, pilates, hiking, etc. 

• Do it together: When it comes to introducing healthy habits in your kids, it’s best to lead by example. Participate in activities that you can do with your kid or those requiring a partner like two-player sports or accompany them on runs, etc. 

3. Sleep is important

There is a reason why we are programmed to spend a third of our entire life sleeping. It helps replenish your physical and mental energy and repairs your body of the damages it has sustained while awake. Henceforth, healthy living habits for kids must include a well-balanced sleep cycle.

• Set a bedtime: The oldest parenting step is to set up a fixed bedtime. But make it a good habit for health rather than a rule. Communicate to your kids the importance of going to bed at a specific time. Sleep is a significant factor in children’s growth and development. 
• Knowing when to rest: Sometimes, kids overexert themselves and need to take a nap. A good parenting tip is to teach your kids to recognize when they are tired and let you know.

4. Mental health is half the game

Having good overall healthy habits means considering both spheres of their being - body, and mind. Mental health has not traditionally been a priority, but now the wind has changed. Focusing on mental health is crucial for a healthy kid.

From an early age, a child should be taught to focus on their mental health. Building habits for a healthy lifestyle cannot be possible without incorporating checkpoints to take account of your mental well-being and taking measures to fix whatever is necessary. 

• Setting boundaries: kids have to learn practicing boundaries in their life. What they are comfortable with, what they find unacceptable, and what they do not prefer - all of these need to be communicated to those around them to have healthy interactions and relationships. Teach them to say no and be firm without being impolite. Teach them to never settle for anything less than what they deserve. 
• Taking breaks: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Resting your brain is just as important as relaxing your body. You wouldn’t run 20 miles without a break, then why exhaust your mind without resting. It’s not just bad for you short-term, but studies have shown a lack of cognitive rest periods can harm your neuron count. Resting when needed or taking scheduled breaks are extremely beneficial and healthy tips for kids. 
• Strength in vulnerability: we cannot always be strong. Everybody makes mistakes and fails sometimes. Parenting must include teaching your kids that it’s okay to fall as long as you find the strength to stand back up. Being sad, feeling weak are all okay and ordinary things. Crying is sometimes okay (irrespective of your gender) because bottling up your emotions is not good for your health. 

5. Communicating with your kids

Communication trumps all, so talking about how they feel is something you should always encourage as a parent and reinforce positively. It will help solve many issues before they even begin. It’s one of the most healthy habits for kids while growing up that will stay with them for their lives.

• Keep calm and carry on: the most simple parenting tip you can implement is to raise your kids to be calm in the face of any problems. Stress is bad for your child, not just mentally but physically too. Developing healthy living habits and reacting to situations will help them build a stronger character and healthier spirit. Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help achieve this healthy habit quicker.

Good habits for health and a healthy lifestyle aren’t formed overnight. The growing years lay the foundation for the rest of our lives. The importance and benefits of adopting healthy habits in your life should be introduced to your kids by you as a parent. It’s essential to take care of the body and mind to be the best possible version of yourself and be a functioning member of society. As parents, you need to be ready to take guidance whenever necessary and from wherever you can get them. Practice patience and take it one day at a time while being adamant about instilling healthy habits for kids into their routine.