“Children learn more from their surroundings than they actually learn by listening.”
Habits once developed need a hard time to change. Good or Bad every habit is either developed out of observation of what their parents do or by teaching them what they are supposed to do. Therefore, it becomes vital to practice what you teach otherwise your kid would be having a hard time developing all those good habits you wished to have when you were a child.
If you think that your kid has grown old enough to understand and observe habits, it is the right time to help them inculcate some good habits that would last all the years ahead. Scroll down to find out the 9 important healthy habits that one must encourage in their kids.
- Get Enough Sleep
With the fast-changing world and working for continuous growth, people have started considering sleep as secondary. Getting enough sleep is important to recover your body and mind for its proper functioning. As a parent, it is your responsibility to teach the importance of sleeping on time during their early years of growth and development. Otherwise, they would be imitating what they observe.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the following hours of sleep is recommended based on the growth year :
- New Born(0-3 months)- 14-20 hrs
- Infants(3 months-1yr)- 12-15 hrs
- Toddlers(1-2yrs)- 11-14 hrs
- Pre-school(2-4 yrs)- 10-13 hrs
- School-age kids- 9-11 hrs
- Adults- 7-8 hrs
- Eat Healthy and colorful
It is easy to get your kid a bag of chips or a chocolate bar, but the most difficult thing is to help them eat nutritious food.
Kids need a variety of nutrients to support their growth and development. When choosing the foods for your little one’s plate, make sure you select fruits and vegetables with a variety of colors and textures to provide the different nutrients needed. Start early with fruits and vegetables by preparing some healthy versions of the junk.
- Move your Body
Gen-Z generation spends more time indoors than any other generation. The practice of a sedentary lifestyle leads to a variety of diseases, a lack of motivation, creativity, and sometimes low self-confidence. To keep kids away from all such problems, it becomes important to educate them about daily exercising and following the same with them.
- Indulge in Extracurricular
As soon a child starts speaking, listening, or scribbling, the one thing that comes to every parent’s mind is to start teaching the basics of education (Alphabet, Rhymes, Numbers, etc.). Nobody thinks about indulging them in dance, swimming, or drama. Because our minds are conditioned in a way that education comes first, no doubt it does. Indulging them in something extracurricular will be a good habit to help them grasp other skills better because it aids in concentration, creativity, and imagination. And all of this would be there the other skills would be easily picked at a faster pace.
If you think, you won’t be able to get the right information about the activities or places then there are discovery platforms available online to search for the right activities near you.
- Read
Developing reading skills is an essential component of a child’s success in growth and years ahead. Make reading stories and fiction part of their bedtime routine or their playtime. Choose books that interest them so that they can review them on their own.
- Limit Screen Time
Screens should be avoided as much as possible during the first 4 years of your child’s growth. In case of non-avoidability of screens, try limiting screen time by taking control over screens. By limiting screens, a child has to find other activities to entertain themselves. Also, limited screen time means more outdoor activities and quality time spent with you.
- Be Encouraging
Children during the growth years tend to capture behaviors and words. If you are stressed or frustrated at someone, they tend to imitate these things and will in turn adopt these in their behavior. Try to have healthy positive conversations with your child to keep them motivated while they fail during learning and playing. Encourage them to try and learn from experiences.
Help your kids develop self-confidence, courage, and a growth mindset to understand that they are unique and capable of doing whatever they want.
- Brush Twice a day
Dental hygiene is very important. Kids should be taught to brush properly twice a day since childhood. As they eat a lot of food, hence they must do it to avoid cavities.
- Teach them etiquettes
This is one of the most important habits among all the good habits to be taught to your child. Teaching them to be good listeners before they speak or not interrupt someone when they are speaking, table manners, and greeting elders are some of the etiquette that you need to teach them.
Making children learn good habits is a hard nut to crack. As a parent, don’t give up on your responsibility. Stay consistent while following it with them to inculcate the habit of a healthy lifestyle in them.