We often spend too much time worrying about how our child may catch a cold, or eat something unhealthy and countless worries such as these. In doing so, we often compromise our duty to equip our children to lead a healthy life on their own. A child is a very sensitive and keenly observant being. If you constantly fret over your kids and keep them sheltered at all times, the chances are they’ll never learn how to cope with a situation outside of their experience and that wouldn’t make them very grateful I tell you!
Being a parent can be stressful, I understand. But keeping your children healthy does not have to be a strenuous exercise.
Begin with being a good role model. Follow a good, healthy lifestyle and give them a practical demonstration of what it is like. Do it for yourself because it does not have to be a staged performance. If you are healthy, you’d be able to take care of your kids better. And they’ll know how important it is to have some exercise and eat fruits and vegetables if they see a happy mother doing the same.
While doing so, keep sharing your knowledge about fruits, vegetables, recipes etc. with your children. It will make them conscious about what they are eating and educate them against all the media hype about machine made snacks. Get your children involved with the food making process by taking them to grocery, having them help around in the kitchen etc. It is important to make a child understand that home cooking is not a bland, boring thing!
Keep motivating your child to take up some sort of exercise. It does not have to be some sport. Anything from walking to cycling to even dancing would do. Build their confidence about their bodies. Focus on positive points. Appreciating their game, stamina, or simply how strong and healthy they look would incorporate a sense of security and responsibility towards their own bodies. The list could go on, but at the end, every parent wants his/her child to be a healthy being. You just have to tune in that spirit with some basic field knowledge and you’re good to go!