Every parent wants their kids to be healthy, but once they reach a certain age, there is only so much you can do to push a healthy diet and lifestyle onto them. When they were younger, it was easy to make nutritious meals for them or take them to the park to play with friends. Now, things are a little trickier. As they’ve gotten older, they’ve got an idea that healthiness isn’t cool. Of course, they’ll come around eventually, but wouldn’t it be better to encourage them to be excited about their health as soon as possible?
Yes, it would be. Not only can it make those dinner time battles much easier, but it can also put your mind at ease about your child’s lifestyle and diet. How can you get your kids excited about their health, though? Here are six tips to consider.
Make Healthy Eating Fun
It’s easier than you think to make healthy meals more fun and engaging for your kids at any age. For smaller kids, a lot of colorful ingredients is a great place to start, while making faces out of the food can also make them laugh and encourage them to dig in.
Older kids can find it a little trickier to find eating fun, but it isn’t impossible. One of the most effective methods is to ask them to join you in the meal-making process. If they see that the healthy ingredients aren’t anything to be scared of, they’ll be happier to eat them. This approach can also motivate them to learn to cook for themselves.
Introduce Them to Different Activities
If your child doesn’t like sports, you might worry that they’ll never get off the sofa and do anything. However, while they may not enjoy popular sports, there is much more than football, basketball, or running.
There are very few people who dislike all activities. It’s just about finding something they enjoy. If they don’t want to chase after a ball, try climbing or hiking. If they aren’t fond of this, combat sports like jiu-jitsu or karate can boost confidence and give them the workout they need.
Show Them The Benefits Of a Healthy Lifestyle
You can speak all day about why your kids need to eat better or get off the sofa, but they’re likely to ignore you unless you can show them the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
If you know you need to cut down on snacks and unhealthy food, going on a diet and showing them how you’ve changed over the past few months could inspire them. Likewise, lifting weights and building muscle enables you to provide clear evidence that a healthy lifestyle works.
Point Out The Dangers of Unhealthy Food
While showing your kids the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, you can also point out the dangers of unhealthy food. Consuming too much sugar as a child can lead to cravings later in their life and this leads to other issues, such as rotten teeth, fillings, and weight gain that can be difficult to shift once they seem too far gone.
Your kids probably won’t want you to lecture them constantly, but identifying how damaging an unhealthy lifestyle can be could scare them into reconsidering their choices, whether it inspires them to go outside and exercise or put the bag of chips away and eat an apple instead.
Teach Them to Cope With Their Emotions
Even kids go through mental health struggles, and knowing how to cope with their emotions – especially when they are teenagers and experiencing a tsunami of hormones all at once – can help them become better adjusted.
It can be tricky for parents to sit down and discuss feelings with their kids, and it can even be uncomfortable, but it’s something you must do to make sure they can control the range of emotions they experience. Whether they are sad, angry, depressed, or confused, knowing how to deal with these positively can do wonders.
Find a Doctor They Love
Many kids do not like going to the doctor. They find the space uncomfortable and they may have negative associations with physicians. But, finding a doctor that your kids love can help them take their health more seriously.
By seeing pediatricians they respect, there is more chance they’ll listen when told to change parts of their lifestyle, and this can often be more effective than you telling them every day.
Excitement
It can take kids a long time to take their health seriously, so you can’t expect them to become a beacon of excellent health overnight. These tips can help you encourage your family to look after themselves and will make it easier to manage their diet as you watch your child grow into a healthy and energetic teen and adult.
