10 Easy And Effective Tips to Instill Lifelong Healthy Habits In Your Children

Every year, World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 to mark the foundation of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is a day to educate our children about why we must always focus on our health and our loved ones. Let us teach our little ones healthy habits that will last them a lifetime, and lay the foundation for a fit and productive life.

Healthy habits to teach your child

1. Wash, wash, wash

Why it's important: Hand washing is the simplest, cheapest, and best way to prevent infection. This habit reduces the risk of getting or spreading diarrhea and respiratory infections, responsible for millions of deaths of children across the world. Teach your child to use both soap and water every time they wash their hands.

How to teach: Keep a bottle of liquid soap where your child can reach it. Before and after every meal, gently prompt them to scrub their hands and wash them thoroughly. Do the same when they come back from school or from the playground, and after they use the toilet. Gradually, you won't need to remind them to do it.

2. Brush, brush, brush

Why it's important: Oral hygiene is very important for overall health. Cavities and other dental issues can be very painful. They can also cause infections in other parts of the body. Get your child into the habit of brushing their teeth twice a day - first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Also, prompt them to rinse out their mouth after every meal, and after eating sweets.

How to teach: Make brushing teeth a fun activity. There are various types of attractive toothbrushes available in the market. Let your child pick one in their favorite color and shape.

3. Use the dustbin

Why it's important: Littering is not only dirty, it's also unhealthy and contributes to the spread of diseases as it attracts all kinds of insects and pests.

How to teach:

• Buy a funky bin for your child's room and encourage them to use it to dump waste paper, pencil shavings, and other garbage.
• Train your child to segregate wet and dry waste, and use the appropriate bins for food, plastic, and other items.
• Discourage your child from throwing wrappers, disposable cups, and litter out of car windows or on the road. Encourage responsible disposal of waste by always using a trash can.
  
  

4. Eat, sleep, wake on time

Why it's important: Regular sleeping and eating patterns established in childhood will help your little ones be disciplined throughout life.

How to teach: Right from the start, be firm about bedtime, mealtime, and the time to get up. And, ensure that your child doesn't skip any meal.

5. Be cautious while sharing

Why it's important:  While sharing toys, books, and even food fosters friendships and builds compassion in your child, it is not wise to share everything all the time, because a lot of diseases are spread through contact. Teach them to differentiate between what can be shared and what can't, and what's the right way to go about it.

How to teach: Make a list of things that your child should not share with others, and repeat it often. It should include:

• Toothbrushes and combs
• Handkerchiefs and towels
• Underwear
• Toiletries and cosmetics that have to be used directly from the applicator
• Food items that are put directly into the mouth, like ice candies and ice-cream cones (Help them understand that it's okay to share biscuits, fruits, snacks, and other food items that can be portioned out, and water can be shared, provided it is not sipped directly from the bottle)

6. Junk the junk food

Why it's important: Children quickly develop a taste for junk food and can get addicted to it, leading to childhood obesity and a host of other health-related issues. Teach your child to identify health hazards while choosing their meals and always go for healthier options.

How to teach: 

Explain the ill effects of food additives, too much salt, and sugar to your child. Make it a point to involve them in reading food labels at the supermarket. Guide them to make an informed choice.

7. Spend time in outdoor play

Why it's important: Most children get hooked to gadgets and are reluctant to spend time outdoors. It's important for them to engage in outdoor activities as it will help them work up an appetite, develop muscles and stamina, and benefit from fresh air and sunshine.

How to teach:

• Set aside time for gadgets and outdoor activities. Explain that gadget time depends on the time spent outdoors.
• If there's no playground nearby, consider enrolling your child in an aerobics or dance class.
• Encourage your child to walk every day.

8. Be squeaky clean

Why it's important: It's very important to teach your child about maintaining personal hygiene in order to stay healthy.

How to teach: Talk to your child about the importance of washing their privates regularly and meticulously, and using clean underwear daily. If your daughter is unable to maintain her hair by herself, consider keeping it short till the time she learns to take care of her hair on her own.

9. Flush after use

Why it's important:  Dirty toilets are breeding grounds for many diseases. See that the toilets in your house are clean always, and check with your child about the state of the toilets in their school. If they complain about them, take up the issue with the school authorities.

How to teach: 

• Check that your child flushes the toilet after each use.
• Keep a broom, toilet brush, and cleaners handy, and encourage your child to clean up after themselves in the toilet and bathroom.

10. Focus on mental health

Why it's important: A healthy mind in a healthy body is the ultimate way to stay fit. Positive thoughts are conducive to good health, while negative ones make the body weak.

How to teach:

• Help your child to see good in everything and every situation.
• Make it a routine each night before bedtime to list five things that made your child happy that day.
• Encourage your child to share their worries and fears with you and try to address these practices.

Bad habits that could affect your child's health

In this fast-paced life, with technology and the Internet taking up most of our time, children of today are developing some bad habits that are affecting their health. Priya Kathpal, nutritionist, fitness expert, and founder of Nutrify, shares her thoughts.

• Spending time before the screen during meals

"Children today expect to be entertained while taking their meals. Screen time during meals is a very bad habit and parents need to keep an eye on it before it goes out of control. A family must sit together and have a conversation while they eat. This way, parents can learn how their children are doing at school and home."

How it affects the child: "Since the child is more engaged with the screen rather than the food, they don't know when to stop eating. So, they just gobble up the food, rather than enjoying their meal. Eating should be about the food you eat and determining how much you need to eat to be full. When children watch TV while eating, they tend to overeat or eat less, which could lead to digestion issues."

• Skipping breakfast

"Since many children go very early to school, lots of parents think it's okay if their child skips breakfast. If you make the child habituated to having a wholesome breakfast, no time is an odd time to enjoy your first meal of the day. Breakfast could happen at any time between 6:00 am and 10:00 am. I am not saying that your child should have a heavy meal at 6.30 in the morning, but you could give them a smoothie, or a milkshake, which are both wholesome meals on their own. Inculcating the habit of having breakfast every day is important."

How it affects the child: "Skipping breakfast could affect a child in many ways and create a lot of health issues later in life, like weight gain, decreased stamina, lethargy, etc."

You are your child's first and best teacher. If you make it a point to model these healthy habits yourself, they will automatically pick them up. This will help them and you to lead healthy and well-balanced lives.