As parents, we want to give our kids the foundation for living a lasting healthy lifestyle, right? As parents, we also have absolute power in determining their development, which is a heavy responsibility. The habits and attitudes formed at a young age will determine their health in their adulthood. This article outlines various tips for raising a healthy child.
Offer Lots of Vegetables and Fruits
Fruits and vegetables are essential for someone’s health since they improve the heart’s condition and protect an individual from cancer and obesity. Besides, fruits and veggies are also critical to a kid’s diet. Kids need this type of food to improve their health.
I’m so pleased with how my daughter-in-law is raising Amelia, my firstborn granddaughter. Having seen the effects of not offering a wide variety of foods to other family members – she has made it a point to ensure Amelia is given all types of foods so that she isn’t the usual “chicken nuggets, mac ‘n cheese, and pizza is all I’m going to eat” type of child. Amelia absolutely loves trying new foods – and loves just about all of them! Aubree is just starting out with baby food but inhales her oatmeal and fruits! We’re about to move on to veggies to see how she does with those soon.
Although babies may eagerly try new diets, such as Aubree who is only 5-months-old and loves trying new foods, older children like Amelia may require at least fifteen tries before they tolerate or like them. Besides, kids should also take a lot of water. Click here to learn more about water purification.
Develop a Hand-Washing Habit
Many people develop frequent illnesses during their daily activities. For instance, physicians may transfer germs from computer keyboards to their mouth as they see their patients despite them taking precautionary measures to wash their hands. Hence, if they want to prevent stomach infections, they should avoid eating while using their computer.
Based on this evidence, hands are the leading source of dispersing infections. Although people may blame their pets, dirty shoes, or sneezing, this might not be the actual cause. People primarily transfer germs from their hands into their bodies by touching their mouth, eyes, nose, or mouth.
Furthermore, young kids make many contacts on their faces approximately fifty times in an hour. So, if you want to keep your kids healthy, you should minimise the number of germs present in their hands.
Besides, toys and door handles are common types of germ reservoirs. Therefore, you should consider wiping them frequently. Additionally, since the kitchen and bathroom are also germs’ hot spots, you should also keep them clean to keep your kids healthy.
Offer Timely Vaccination
Kids receive about 24 shots by the time they are 2. Based on this number, some parents may be tempted to postpone some vaccines. For instance, a person may postpone their kid’s HPV due to their busy schedule, and they may overlook the need to protect the kid from an adult illness.
However, the vaccine schedule is particularly structured to offer immunization when the dosage is most effective. Toddlers and babies should receive their vaccine in their critical period that starts when their immunity is developed enough to respond.
However, this should be before they are at high risk of contracting these dangerous conditions. Contradicting the vaccination schedule affects the effectiveness of the dosage and may also cause more side effects. For instance, measles vaccines are more likely to lead to febrile seizures when administered late.
Use Fluoride to Brush Teeth
Oral health is also essential in a kid’s general health. Mild tooth decay can affect a child’s health by causing poor heating patterns, pain, and poor sleep quality. For example, in extreme cases, a person can be admitted to a hospital due to a dental infection.
Luckily, brushing teeth can enhance a person’s general health, particularly if they use fluoride since it maintains and builds protective teeth enamel. So when your kid starts to develop teeth, you should consider brushing them with fluoride toothpaste at least two times a day.
It’s also important to take your kids for regular checkups at the dentist, seeing as they’ll be able to play a major part in keeping their teeth healthy. When the time comes and all your child’s baby teeth have been replaced by permanent ones, consider calling up an orthodontist to help them with braces and also useful tips and tricks to live with them! This way, you can rest assured knowing you’ve done everything you can to uphold your child’s oral hygiene and health.
Enforce Frequent Bedtime
While you may be tempted to delay your child’s bedtime in order to spend more time with them, it may be causing them health problems. Kids who do not receive an adequate amount of sleep may turn to be hyperactive, and they may also perform poorly in school. Trust me – I learned this one firsthand!
Lack of sufficient sleep may also affect the hormone leptin. This is the hormone that hints at someone to stop eating. Therefore, an alteration to the hormone may cause overweight or obesity in kids. So, as a parent, you should ensure that your kids go to bed early enough. How to get them to do that? Make bedtime fun, something they can look forward to! I love the movie Bedtime Stories starring Adam Sandler. He invents these wild, elaborate stories where he is always the hero. Get your kids to give you a topic for the night’s bedtime story and go crazy with it!
Besides, late sleeping may also affect a kid’s behavior. Fortunately, due to lack of sleep, behavioral consequences can be reversed when a kid switches to appropriate and regular bedtime patterns. Furthermore, kids require more bedtime than most parents think.
For instance, toddlers require 11 to 14 sleeping hours, while preschoolers and kindergarten kids need 13 and 11 sleeping hours, respectively. So, you should develop a regular bedtime schedule and adhere to it.
Insist on a Helmet
Bike riding is common among kids. Although this is an excellent form of exercising the body, it may also expose your kid to various risks. Therefore, a helmet may make a significant difference in terms of safety. A kid should always wear it to prevent injuries since head injuries may be fatal or severely impact their physical well-being.
Now I know, those of us who grew up in the era of be-home-when-the-streetlights-come-on, we were free-range kids. We played outdoors, rode in the back of pickup trucks, never wore helmets, and let our imaginations run wild, and made up games to play with our friends. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that time period any longer, and studies have shown that children can suffer severe injuries internally from a fall that you cannot see.
Therefore, you should insist your kids put on helmets when they ride scooters, bicycles, bikes, or anything else with wheels. Although a helmet may be uncomfortable, it should not be an option.
Apply Sunscreen All the Time
Although sun exposure may cause havoc on a person’s skin despite the age, sunburn during childhood can be specifically risky. When a kid’s skin cells become impaired at an earlier age, they may increase their likelihood of developing skin cancer in their lifetime.
Children are susceptible to the harmful impacts of ultraviolet radiation since their skin possesses a thinner exterior protective layer than an adult one. It would help if you considered applying sunscreen on kids above six months when exposed to the sun. However, keep toddlers away from direct sunlight.
Besides the sunscreen, you should protect children with clothing that reduce exposure, UV-protective sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and ensuring that they are on shades as much as possible.
Apply Safety Straps
Many kids are not properly restrained in cars. To keep your kids safer while traveling, you should ensure you follow the guidelines and instructions on your kid’s booster seat, car seat, or seat belt to guarantee their safety. We have a great booster seat recommendation to offer – the ClypX comfiGO kid-friendly booster seat. This booster seat is flexible, portable, and excellent for traveling, rental cars, taxis, carpooling, etc. It is designed for children 4+, over 40 pounds, and 40+ inches. Check it out.
Conclusion
Every parent aims at bringing up joyful and healthy kids. However, the choices and actions which people make daily can significantly influence their kid’s health. The above tips can be helpful for a parent in raising a healthy kid.
