You can help your child develop healthy habits early in life that will bring lifelong benefits. As a parent, you can encourage your kids to evaluate their food choice and physical activity habits. Here are some tips and guidelines to get you started.
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- Get the whole family moving
- - Plan times for everyone to get moving together.
- Take walks, ride bikes, go swimming, garden
- or just play hide-and-seek outside.
- Everyone will benefit from the exercise and the time together.
- Be realistic
- - Setting realistic goals and limits are key to adopting any new behavior.
- Small steps and gradual changes can make a big difference
- in your health over time,
- so start small and build up.
- Limit TV, video game and computer time
- - These habits lead to a sedentary lifestyle
- and excessive snacking,
- which increase risks for obesity and cardiovascular disease.
- Limit screen time to 2 hours per day.
- Encourage physical activities that they’ll really enjoy
- - Every child is unique.
- Let your child experiment with different activities
- until they find something that they really love doing.
- They’ll stick with it longer if they love it.
- Pick truly rewarding rewards
- - Don’t reward children with
- tv, video games, candy or snacks for a job well done.
- Find other ways to celebrate good behavior.
- Make dinnertime a family time
- - When everyone sits down together to eat,
- there’s less chance of children eating the wrong foods or snacking too much.
- Get your kids involved in cooking and planning meals.
- Everyone develops good eating habits together
- and the quality time with the family will be an added bonus.
- Make a game of reading food labels
- - The whole family will learn what’s good for their health
- and be more conscious of what they eat
- . It’s a habit that helps change behavior for a lifetime.
- Stay involved
- - Be an advocate for healthier children.
- Insist on good food choices at school.
- Make sure your children’s healthcare providers
- are monitoring cardiovascular indicators like
- BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Contact public officials on matters of the heart.
- Make your voice heard.
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