How to Raise Happy, Healthy Children?
As a parent, all you ever want for your child is to grow up to be well-adjusted, happy, and healthy. Many of the tips and tricks you can do to assure that a child meets these goals are the same things you must do as a parent to guarantee that you stay happy and healthy for your child. Read on and discover simple things you can do to ensure your child remains happy and healthy.
Well-balanced Meals and Snack Daily
It is not enough to eat a well-balanced meal for some days. As a parent, you must prepare and serve well-balanced meals every day and teach your child why these foods are right for them.
Once you get used to incorporating all the primary food groups into every meal, it soon becomes second nature. You must teach your child to like fruits and vegetables.
Eating balanced meals and healthy snacks ensures you and your child is getting the right amount of essential vitamins and minerals every day. Balanced meals help to protect the body against chronic illnesses, including childhood and adult obesity.
Teaching Good Hygiene (hand washing)
- It would be best if you taught your child that good hand washing is a must at any time.
- Teach your child that their hands are the number one-way germs spread from person to person.
- Teach your child that germs are everywhere, they rest their hands, and that when they touch their mouth, eyes, and nose, they can introduce these nasty germs into their body.
Teach Excellent Oral Care
Teach your child great oral care as soon as their first tooth arrives.
- Poor oral can lead to various health risks like heart disease.
- Poor oral can cause pain.
- Poor teeth can cause a decrease in eating healthy foods.
- Poor teeth cause poor sleep habits.
There is a simple solution. Teach your child how and when to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day. Know that fluoride helps to protect the enamel on the teeth. Once the enamel is gone, it is gone forever.
Protect the Skin at All Ages
The sun is dangerous to the skin at any age. It is vital to protect the skin year-round. The skin of children and (adults) is fragile and at risk for sunburn. Infants and children of all age groups need quality UV sunscreen when outside playing. Buy a nifty pair of sunglasses for your child when out in the sun. Protect your infant’s eyes by shielding their eyes with a light blanket or a pair of child’s sunglasses. Adults, please follow suit.
Identify Fall Risks and Auto Injury Protection
Correctly strapping a child prevents serious falls is vital to the child’s health and safety. Utilize straps on highchairs, strollers, carriages, changing tables, cycles, car seats. As an adult, buckle up when in a moving car. Seat belts and child car seats save lives on the roadways.
Vaccinations for Children and Parents
Vaccinations are essential to the health and wellness of every child (and adult.) Research the internet or obtain a necessary list of vaccinations and the age the child receives them. Follow this schedule because these vaccinations have the best effectiveness at specific age levels.
When you stray from this schedule, the vaccine may not be as effective. These vaccinations prevent serious childhood and adulthood diseases.
Eight Hours of Sleep, at Least
Medical research recommends that children and adults get at least eight hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep:
- Opens the doors to illness
- Decreases attention during school hours
- Decreases proper food intake
- Increases risk for obesity
- Causes negative behaviors
- Causes a drop in grades and more.
If the child is ill, encourage more sleep. The younger the child, the more rest a child requires. It is suitable for children and their parents to set a regular bedtime schedule. Sticking to a regular bedtime routine soon becomes natural. Children should not remain up after nine o’clock at night.
Dress for Outside Adventures
When your child rides their bicycle, skateboards, uses a scooter, or operates and rides on a motorized toy, they must wear a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and other accessories to keep them from being injured.
Showing your child how you wear a helmet every time you jump on your cycle makes this an essential accessory for them. Make sure helmets fit correctly and are comfortable. If the helmet is not comfortable, the child ends up removing it when you are not around.
Happiness is as Happiness Does
When you are happy, healthy, and well-adjusted, your children will follow suit. Happiness with life, leads to successful lives. Happy children do better in school and perform better in classes and on the athletic field. Happy children discover satisfaction in life and later on in their job, marriage, and pass this attitude on to their children.
We agree that no one can be happy all the time because situations arise that cause temporary depression. Short-term depression is natural. It is how you handle these random instances of being in a valley instead of on a mountain top.
Make sure that your child gets friend time and enjoys much laughter and fun. Learn to communicate with your child to feel comfortable talking to you if they feel down and depressed. Embrace hanging out with family members and friends who love life and have a positive outlook.
In Conclusion
We love to educate the public and hope that these few practical examples help your child grow up happy, healthy, and well-adjusted. Instilling these recommendations carries over into your child’s adulthood years, and they pass them onto their children.
We are a level four trauma center and a full-service, award-winning hospital located in Gainesville, Texas.
- We serve the residents in and around the community of Gainesville.
- We have two full-time general surgeons on staff.
- We have many premier departments, including an OB/GYN and pediatrics unit, available 24/7.
- NTMC has a 4.4 Star Google rating which is the best rating of any hospital within 50 miles.
Give us a call at 940-665-1751 or stop by for a visit and know that we are devoted to the highest quality of healthcare through education.
