All parents want their children to be happy and healthy. After all, this won’t just ensure that they have an enjoyable childhood, but can also set them up for success in their adult lives, too. It’s much easier for young adults to find success in all aspects of their lives, including their professional and personal relationships, if they’re mentally and physically in tip-top condition.
There are, of course, many variables that’ll influence your child’s existence, some of which might negatively impact their overall well-being. The way to combat those is to do what you can — and you can do a lot — to nudge their physical and mental well-being in the right direction.
In this post, we’ll run through a bunch of strategies for developing a well-rounded child, all of which are relatively easy to follow.
Healthy, Delicious Meals
Eating healthy meals is paramount for ensuring that your child’s mental and physical well-being can be in peak condition. Varied meals consisting of fresh, healthy ingredients can have a significant impact on your child’s overall health. In contrast, unhealthy meals — such as those that contain processed foods — can have the opposite effect. By taking the time to prepare good-for-you meals, you’ll be giving your growing child’s body and mind the sustenance they need to be at their best. Research also suggests that children who follow a healthy diet in childhood tend to go on to lead healthy lives as adults, making this approach a gift that’ll benefit your child for the rest of their lives.
Fun Physical Activities
Did you know that this generation of children is the least active on record? Thanks to the rise of personal devices and other factors, many children just simply aren’t getting the levels of exercise they need to be at their best.
Yet it’s important that children do engage in physical activity, which isn’t only beneficial to their physical wellbeing, but also boosts their mental health and confidence, too. The key to getting your child moving is to find an activity that they enjoy. After all, it’s simply not realistic that they’ll be eager to put on jogging shoes and go for a long run multiple times a week. Signing them up for exciting activities such as soccer, dancing, or karate classes will ensure that they get their full dose of physical activity while also having fun. Plus, aside from getting fit, they might just discover that the activity they choose becomes a passion that sticks with them for the rest of their lives.
Self-Care Habits
You won’t always be there to look after your child’s mood or emotions. Teaching them how to do it themselves can be powerfully influential and can result in long-lasting benefits that can set them up for success in their later lives. Teach them the power of meditation, yoga, exercise, and sleeping well, and they’ll have a lot of the tools required to make themselves happy and healthy.
Limit Screentime
It’s probably not possible, nor recommended, to prevent your child from using screen devices all the time. Still, it’s important to be mindful of the effect that excessive screen time can have on a child’s overall well-being. Studies suggest that too much time in front of a screen can increase a child’s risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
So how do you manage screens in a world that encourages us to use them all the time? It’s simple — you set boundaries. Your children may not like that the internet is turned off after a certain hour, or that you have screen-free Sundays, but it can be a gamechanger for their well-being. Without screens, they’ll have the time and space to engage in other, genuinely beneficial activities that support their health and happiness.
Be a Happy Parent
Finally, keep in mind that raising happy and healthy children is about more than what you do for them. What you do for yourself counts for a lot, too. Children pick up a lot from their parents, much more than simply what they’re told. You’ll be a role model for their happiness, and as such, it’s important that you treat your own well-being as a priority. Many parents put all their energy into their children because they believe that it’s the right thing to do, but actually, it’s vital to invest in your self-care too. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and in any case, your child will be much more likely to walk around smiling if they see that you have a smile on your face. Remember: positivity is infectious!
