Overview
Raising children is no small task. Careers and responsibilities that were in place before children arrived don’t just go away, and parents can be pulled in many different directions. Before long, feelings of being overwhelmed or being a “bad parent” can start to set in.
It doesn’t help that there can be a lot of confusing and conflicting information about health and well-being in general. Still, it can be incredibly challenging to get information that is safe and reliable when it comes to children. But at the end of the day, we are all human and subject to making mistakes while learning and adapting.
With that in mind, here is a list of tips for a healthy childhood – backed up by research – that will hopefully help any parent or would-be parent give their kids a great start in life.
Ten Tips for a Healthy Childhood
1. Beware of Sweets
We are born liking sweet foods and drinks.[1] Our predisposition to finding sweet tastes delightful in childhood and sometimes beyond is why snack food and beverage companies market to kids.
Sugar-containing beverages can significantly increase the risk of obesity, dental cavities, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease down the road.[2] Keeping this rather sobering fact in mind, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that children and teens consume less than 25 grams (or six teaspoons) of added sugar daily.[3] Please consider that one can of regular soda averages around 8 grams!
Healthier alternatives include fruits and homemade snacks where you can control the amounts of sugar. Keeping a bowl of fruit somewhere visible and easily accessible can grab your child’s attention when they are hungry.
2. Get ‘Em Immunized
Your child needs to stay up to date with their immunization schedule.
It’s an effective way to protect your child from preventable infections and diseases. These illnesses can be easily spread by children who come into close contact frequently and cause serious health problems – even death.
3. Quality Sleep
Sleep is profoundly important for human health at any age. In developing children, sleep plays a vital role in behavior, memory, attention, and emotional regulation – to name a few. Recommended sleep guidelines for kids’ optimal health are as follows:[4]
· Infants 4 months to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours (including naps)
· 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours (including naps)
· 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours (including naps)
· 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
· Teenagers 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours
4. Exercise Daily
Here’s another significant factor that helps all of us. Humans are born to move. Exercise in children and adolescents improves strength, the immune system, cardiovascular fitness, academic performance, and body composition, reducing later risks for cardiovascular diseases and providing an excellent foundation for good habits into adulthood.[5]
Physical activities should be enjoyable and age-appropriate but go beyond typical activities of daily life. Aim for at least one hour per day.
5. Limit Screen Time
Limit non-homework-related screen time to a maximum of two hours per day. Exposure to bright light (particularly the blue light-emitting kind like smartphones and tablets) impacts the production of the sleep hormone melatonin,[6] so make sure that screen time meets a hard stop at least an hour before bed. Encourage unplugged playtime and use that opportunity to exercise with your kids instead, which is especially important before bedtime.
6. Develop Healthy Eating Habits for a Lifetime
It’s never too early to learn good eating habits. Learning a healthy balance of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) will not only help during the crucial development periods but will serve your child for life.
Eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy proteins like fish, eggs, and poultry rather than beef or pork will go a long way in helping your child’s body and mind develop. If your household enjoys dairy products, try to ensure that it’s unsweetened.
Teach your children that water should always be the default drink of choice.
Lastly, but no less importantly – children and adolescents who share meals with their families report better nutrition, family relationships, and mental health,[7] so make time for meals together.
7. Support Mental Health
School, after-school activities, and social media can cause stress and anxiety for your child. Bullying is, unfortunately, an ever-present danger. Depending on their age, children mostly don’t have the communication skills to express their feelings or may feel shy or embarrassed by what they are experiencing.
Look for signs of emotional struggles in how your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, or handles emotions. Ask your child questions and practice active listening:
- Give your child your full attention and make eye contact; stop anything else you may be doing
- Get down on your child’s level
- Repeat back what your child is saying and what they may be feeling to help you thoroughly understand them
If your child’s behavior is concerning, speak to your child’s health practitioner.
8. Foster Safety Habits
Reiterating the importance of good safety habits can save your child’s life. Admit it, if your parents seemed nagging or annoying regarding safety and what to do to avoid trouble or even injury, there were excellent reasons for it. Some important ones to remember:
- Never go anywhere with strangers
- Your child’s body is only theirs. There are exceptions, such as medical visits, but this should be an ongoing conversation
- Don’t chase pets and always ask for permission to pet them if they belong to others
- Road safety, such as looking both ways before crossing, not crossing streets alone/without permission, and not playing near traffic
- Important contact information, such as 911 and when it is appropriate to call them, home address, important names, etc.
- Always wear a helmet for bikes, skateboards, or scooters
- Water safety, such as never swimming alone, knowing how to get help
9. Educate Kids about S-E-X
Yes, it’s awkward to speak to your child about sex, but it allows them a healthy way to make safer decisions about this critical part of their overall health and well-being. Elementary school is generally considered an ideal time to begin discussing this topic. Physical and emotional readiness for sex, using protection, and identifying risky behaviors in a potential partner should all be discussed. The more your child knows about sexual safety, the better.
10. Teach Your Kids to Love Life
The world can be full of danger, and teaching your children to be aware of what’s potentially harmful can only help, but remember that the world is also meant to be enjoyed.
Spend time together as a family, play and laugh with your kids, take walks in nature, and stop to appreciate its beauty. Go camping and work on hobbies together – make memories that will last a lifetime.
References:
- Reed, D. R., & McDaniel, A. H. (2006). The human sweet tooth. BMC oral health, 6 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S17. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6831-6-S1-S17
- Fidler Mis, N., Braegger, C., Bronsky, J., Campoy, C., Domellöf, M., Embleton, N. D., Hojsak, I., Hulst, J., Indrio, F., Lapillonne, A., Mihatsch, W., Molgaard, C., Vora, R., Fewtrell, M., & ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition: (2017). Sugar in Infants, Children and Adolescents: A Position Paper of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Committee on Nutrition. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 65(6), 681–696. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000001733
- Kids and added sugars: How much is too much? www.heart.org. (2021, November 23). Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/05/01/kids-and-added-sugars-how-much-is-too-much
- Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D’Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., Malow, B. A., Maski, K., Nichols, C., Quan, S. F., Rosen, C. L., Troester, M. M., & Wise, M. S. (2016). Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785–786. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866
- Landry, B. W., & Driscoll, S. W. (2012). Physical activity in children and adolescents. PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation, 4(11), 826–832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2012.09.585
- Masters, A., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Seixas, A., Girardin, J. L., & McFarlane, S. I. (2014). Melatonin, the Hormone of Darkness: From Sleep Promotion to Ebola Treatment. Brain disorders & therapy, 4(1), 1000151. https://doi.org/10.4172/2168-975X.1000151
- Utter, J., Larson, N., Berge, J. M., Eisenberg, M. E., Fulkerson, J. A., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2018). Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional well-being. Preventive medicine, 113, 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.05.006
