As a parent, do you find it difficult to keep your kids healthy? Well, you’re not alone. Although they try their best a lot of parents are completely confused about how what they need to do to ensure their kids stay in good health. Diet is a big issue for parents.
Many of us are aware that child obesity rates are rising, but very few of us understand what type of diet we should give our kids. And at what point should we let them choose what they eat? What foods should you always stay away from and which ones are okay in limited amounts? It’s a tough road out there for a parent trying to keep their child in good health. However, there are simple rules you can follow to ensure that your child stays fit. Here are a few of the best tips and we’ll start by thinking about food and drink.
The Right Diet For Kids
It’s important to remember that children are still developing and growing. For this reason, they’re diet is of particular importance. You need to make sure that they get the right minerals and vitamins that their body needs to stay healthy.
To do this, you should look into foods that are high in antioxidants. Oxidants are substances that are incredibly dangerous to the body, and they have been linked to a wide range of medical conditions including dementia. You might not know this, but oxidants are actually developed by the body naturally. The only problem is that we can also intake more due to the environment and other issues. That’s why it’s important that we also have antioxidants to fight them. These are found in a variety of natural food such as broccoli. Broccoli is packed full of antioxidants and as such should never be left off your child’s dinner plate. Check out www.draxe.com for more foods high in anti oxidants.
What about unhealthy foods? You don’t want to cut out unhealthy foods out of your kid's diet completely. If you do this, they’re probably going to get them from other sources that you can't control. This can lead to a sugar addiction which is one of the main reasons why so many children are overweight. You might think it’s odd to describe sugar as a substance that people can become addicted to, but it is. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that foods high in sugar and fats are actually manufactured so that they are addictive. As such, it is worth working to ensure you are in control of your kid’s intake. The best way to do this is to make sure you’re the one giving it to them.
Avoiding Issues
When children are young a trip to the dentist can be such a nightmare that you might avoid it altogether. Rather than bothering heading to the dentist, you’ll tell them to brush their teeth and hope they listen. It’s understandable why some parents do this and avoid dentist appointments because kids often absolutely hate it. The don’t like the possibility of pain that comes with it, being told that they’re not brushing enough and if they’re older flossing.
However, despite all these issues you do need to make sure that your kids get regular trips to the dentist. Otherwise, issues can develop and quickly grow out of control. You might think that doesn’t matter because after all, children will lose their baby teeth anyway. But this can lead to fixed bad habits that will be difficult to break.
That’s why you want to make sure that you get treatment from a dentist who understands the challenge that parents are facing. If you check out a site such as www.DentistrywithTLC.com, you’ll see that some dentists understand the fear children have and combat it effectively. That’s exactly what you want from your dentist.
Of course, it’s not just dental trips. Some parents will also avoid taking their kids to the opticians and even the doctors. The rule with the doctors is that if a problem lasts more than two weeks, your child does need treatment from a professional. Or, you should get it checked out if the symptoms get worse.
As for the opticians, if you’re not getting your children’s eyesight checked out occasionally, they can develop issues. Eventually, this might lead to them having issues at school without you even realizing what the real problem is.
Encouraging Exercise
If you’re lucky, your child will be as energetic and active as a golden Labrador. If you’re unlucky, you may find they never leave their bed. The might also be glued to some sort of screen and very rarely leave the house. Kids like this can be prone to a wide range of health issues such as increased weight and even problems with their mood. Some research has suggested that children who spend more time indoors are more likely to develop the telltale signs of depression.
So, how can you encourage your kids to be more active? Well, you can exercise as a family. Have a look at these great ideas for family exercise on www.parents.com. Take them on trips to go swimming, hit the beach or head to the park. You might even want to plan weekends away that they will enjoy with the secondary goal of getting them to be more active. You might even want to encourage them to get involved in fitness activities at school. But do in bear in mind that not every child will be thrilled with this idea. Sometimes they do need a little nudge out of the door.
While it’s true, there are children that don’t like sports that doesn’t mean they can’t stay fit. You can help them planning a morning exercise routine, and that can be a simple and regular as brushing their teeth.
As you can see then, there are a lot of issues that parents face when trying to keep their kids healthy. But, with the right steps taken and the correct approach, your kid’s health doesn’t have to suffer. Instead, you can make sure they stay fit and full of vigor. You can find more tips on www.kulamama.com.
This is a great post, thanks for sharing! I couldn't agree more, a healthy family is so important! I am a stay at home mom that also homeschools, so I always try to keep everyone active and entertained in other ways besides screens. We also go outside as often as possible, the sun makes everyone happy. :)
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