Being parents is not a part-time job but a full responsibility that demands your emotional and physical attention. Parenting can be stressful at times, especially when your children have unhealthy habits, and their meal plan is the opposite of okay. Most of the times, kids like to eat junk food instead of healthy and are often busy with their electronic gadgets. Children, especially today, are in dire need of a timetable that can set order in their lifestyle.
A healthy lifestyle does not always indicate a healthy meal plan. A healthy diet is just a part of an ideal lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle has got to involve physical and mental activities, and it should be ordered in a systemic way along with a healthy meal plan. This way everything stays in balance. This article is going to help you do just that. There are five must-have things that should be in your child’s new healthy timetable.
1. Fewer Gadgets
Technology has proved to be our savior as well as a curse. With smartphones and tablets in everyone’s reach, children now often prefer to stay home and play video games which can weaken their eyesight and make them lazy and anti-social. It is also important that your children are not completely cut off from the technology as it is a daily necessity in today’s world. Set a limited time in which they are allowed to play on their laptops or tablets. In this way, they will not be completely cut off, and the amount they spend in front of harmful rays will be less. Also, they will not turn to other ways to play these video games. It is better for children to spend their time playing meaningful games that some way or another improves their motor skills. For online games that provide the player with challenges, visit dimble.games/tag/io/.
2. Proper Sleep Schedule
Having a proper routine where your children go to bed early and wake up early will help set their biological clock in the right way. Children who do not have a fixed time for sleep often end up having sleep issues. That is because if they wake up early, they will be sleep deprived and thus will be tired all day. Having a fixed time to wake up will enforce early rising habits automatically. It is also scientifically proven that the sleep we get at night is more healthy and beneficial than the sleep we get in the morning. A few hours of sleep during the night is far better than too many hours of sleep during the day. Children who sleep early and get up early stay fresh all day as compared to kids who feel lethargic because of lack of sleep.
3. Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is important for children who are growing. We live in an era where eating junk food has become a norm and children often have no concept of eating healthy. Different kinds of junk food are being made with variations and children can refuse to eat anything else when they there are so many fast food outlets. Add more vegetables and fruits in your meal plan because they contain water in them and decrease the chances of chronic diseases. Water itself is very important for our organs and skin. Make sure that your children eat fruits daily as snacks instead of junk food that contain fats and sugar. These fruits have been naturally made in a way that each of them contains different vitamins and nutrition that are necessary for our body. With time, your children will learn to ignore unhealthy food at the table and will form the habit of eating fruits.
4. Have Some Physical Activity
It is very important to have your child take part in some physical activity, so their bodies stay active and strong. Playing outdoor games is also a form of an exercise that helps strengthen the body. Children are far too young to form a full exercise plan regarding gym, so the best solution for them is to participate in these extracurricular activities. Exercise not only helps in the physical growth, but also mental growth. Sitting at home all day will not help the bones grow in a way they should. Physical exercise helps children become more active. Children get rid of excess fluid and salt through sweating and it is a great way for them to connect to nature. Exercise also helps in making children more sharp because such physical games need fast reflexes and smart strategies. Plan a daily routine with some physical game like football or basketball. Children will have fun and would want to stay more active in the future instead of sitting all day in front of their tablets.
5. Get Involved
You children should not feel isolated from you while living under the same roof. With parents having their jobs and work, it sometimes becomes very difficult for families to catch up and hence children avoid spending family-time when they have to. Having a specific amount of time specifically for this purpose can become difficult that is why the best way to get involved in your child’s life is to have family meals. Have discussions and get to know about each other’s day so you can all communicate easily. You can plan family trips on weekends where your family gets to spend time together. Arrange interesting activities so that the children truly have an amazing time and are not bored. Arranging these family times will not only help improve your bond with each other, it will also give the children a safe space where they can share their problems with you. Some children can get stressed out because of their studies or other issues. You being there for your children will help them open up and get the help that they need.
These five recommendations will help your children live a productive lifestyle. Following these simple and important steps can ensure that your child eats healthy, and stays healthy.
About the Author
Catalina Smith is a young digital marketer by profession and is utterly obsessed with the growing technology. She has covered the gaming world online for over six years. She regularly posts at Dimble Games.
Great article @Lynne
I believe that children need to have their activities spaced out evenly.
I don’t believe in extended TV time as this normally affects my little one’s routine, when it comes to bed time he is rather energetic. I prefer when we get home he plays with his toys, or even kicks a ball for a bit, just to wear of some of the extreme energy levels, then he has his supper which is followed by puzzle time mostly, thereafter he has a bath and in bed. There is literally two and half hours of time once we reach home on a week day so there isn’t much we can do.
As far as Tablets and Cell phones are concerned he normally plays with it on his drive home, so that is sufficient exposure for him as he is only four.