Health Class
What Parents Can Do
Lead your kids in physical activities
Be a positive role model and lead your kids in physical activities on a regular basis. We don’t mean army-style workouts, but rather enjoyable activities everyone in the family can do. Take your family on a hike through the woods, a bike ride through the neighborhood or to a nearby hill for some sledding. Your kids will love your participation and will begin to seek out more of these outings and activities. To make it extra fun, invite another family to join you on your romps.
Work activity into your day
Not all physical activity has to be a planned event. You can work activity into your day just doing routine household chores. The key is to do whatever needs to be done energetically.
If the family car is looking dingy, get out a hose and bucket and challenge the kids to wash it in a certain amount of time. If they succeed, reward them with a trip to the park.
Instead of you cleaning the house at night after the kids are in bed, take an hour after dinner to clean it together. Assign each child a specific job, crank-up some fun music and encourage everyone to complete their duties with gusto. The whole house will get clean quickly, you’ll all get a bit of a workout, and you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of a house where all the rooms are tidy.
Limit time spent in front of screens
Whether it’s the TV, the computer, or video games. While everyone likes to relax after a busy day, watching TV or playing a video game should not be the day’s main event – allow kids “screen time” after they’ve been active for a solid chunk of time. Also, don’t put TVs, computers or video game systems in your kids’ bedrooms. They can easily log long hours at these screens while you’re busy doing other things.
Encourage participation in live-long sports
Encourage your kids to be active now (and all their lives) by giving them the gift of competence in life-long sports such as tennis, martial arts, skiing, etc. When kids get involved in these kinds of activities at a young age, they tend to become accomplished rather quickly, giving them self-confidence and motivation for staying active in these sports their whole lives.
Support your kids in team sports
Your child does not have to play on the most competitive team around. It’s enough for him or her simply to participate and reap the rewards of physical activity and team camaraderie. Many towns have club-level teams, where there are no tryouts and everyone gets to play. And you never know… your child might have a hidden athletic talent you haven’t seen yet!
Many of the things parents do to keep everyone physically active have the added benefit of strengthening family ties, so parents can feel good knowing they’re helping the family both physically and emotionally.
Know the basic rules of good nutrition
Eating healthfully should be a life-long goal for all of us – not just for kids. You probably know the basic rules of good nutrition already: eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry and fish; avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar. If you stick to that plan as much as possible, you’ll be well on your way towards eating healthfully.
Teach kids at the supermarket
One good place to teach kids how to eat healthfully is at the supermarket. Involve them in the process of grocery shopping. Teach them to read labels. Show them what portion sizes look like. Stock up on healthy snacks like fruit, yogurt, pretzels, etc. Have them pick out a new fruit or vegetable each time you shop. Avoid buying cookies and chips -- after all, your kids can’t eat snacks that aren’t in the house.
Involve your kids in food preparation
Kids are more likely to eat what they’ve cooked. Plus, you’ll all have fun together. Show them how to steam vegetables and roast meats. Explain to them why you cook with olive oil or canola oil instead of butter. Have them look up some fun new recipes online and choose one to prepare with you. (As an added benefit, you may come home one day when the kids are older and discover they’ve made a meal for you!)
Have dinner together as often as possible
At the dinner table, take a seat and relax. Although many families are overscheduled, taking the time to have dinner together as often as possible leads to healthier eating habits and stronger family bonds. Serve small-ish portions and encourage kids to eat slowly, savor their food and give their stomachs a chance to feel full.
Make your eating changes gradually
Practice what you preach in terms of nutrition—you can’t expect kids to eat steamed broccoli and extra lean burgers if you are having fried chicken and French fries for dinner.
Remember that it’s best to make your eating changes gradually—you’ll encounter much less resistance along the way. For example, don’t try to switch from whole milk directly to skim… take some intermediate steps that include 2% and 1%. And if you only make it as far as 2%, don’t fret. Even small changes add up over time.