In today’s busy world, even before COVID-19, young kids were spending more and more time inside. Now that school is going to be back online and it is safer to stay in the house during the weekend, it’s important that you keep healthy habits so that your child can feel their very best. It’s too easy for them to get stuck on a screen while munching on snacks for their midday break. The best thing you can do to avoid this is to start creating a healthy schedule for you and your family to work together to lead a healthier lifestyle. This way, when things go back to normal, they will already be prepared and will not be tempted by poor choices. Here is our list of ways to help you create a healthy lifestyle for your children while they are at home.

Limit Screen Time

They are going to be using screens all day long with online school returning. You do not want to take away screen time in general, especially when more and more kids use it to decompress and relax. However, all of their downtime cannot be spent on the screen. Too much screen time can affect their eyesight as well as their overall mood.

Get Outside

The best thing you can do is increase their time outside. Naturally, young kids have so much energy to be released that just getting them outside automatically triggers them to run around. This works as great exercise but it can be even better if you organize games/sports for your kids to improve at. Daily basketball or soccer practice can be a great break after they finish their homework. The increased physical activity helps with a whole host of things and truly guides them forward towards a healthy lifestyle in the future. 

Healthy Snacks

One of the biggest disruptors of a healthy eating schedule is snack time. Snacks can be really tough to get rid of because of the allure of quick and tasty treats. While you should not eliminate snacktime, do your best to bring in healthy snacks such as carrots and hummus or lettuce wraps. The key is to make it normal and simply have them ready, so your kids can grab them while taking a small break from online class.

Healthy Meals

Just because you give them healthy snacks does not mean you can start eating burgers and donuts for every meal. Creating unhealthy habits at a young age can lead to weight problems in the future, which adds even more issues to their overall health. Look up meal-prep recipes for great options that are delicious and nutritious. The more you involve your kids in preparing the food, the better. They’ll love cooking as a family and because they helped cook, it will taste even more delicious. This will drive the point home even further that good health can also be fun! 

Lead by Example

This may be the most important tip of all. If you ask your kids to eat things that you do not eat, or do things that you do not do, it makes it quite the uphill battle. They look up to you as if you are the greatest, smartest, most incredible person in the world. Live up to this title and make sure you are leading a healthy lifestyle as well.This will not only help them along the way, it will motivate them to be even healthier than you. Remember, they watch everything you do, so no slip ups because then they are also likely to do so. 

Bed Time

While it may not seem like an extremely pivotal part of a healthy lifestyle, the right amount of sleep is one of the most important aspects. When you do not get enough sleep, your body does not heal itself the way it should. Lack of sleep in kids affects their mood and ability to concentrate. Young children should be averaging 8 hours of sleep a night. Setting on a bedtime and wake up time is integral to their overall growth into young adulthood. 

 

There are so many more ways to add to a healthy lifestyle. However, these tips can be implemented quite simply and quickly. The most important is to remember that no changes can be made overnight nor without effort. As long as you keep your chin up and mind on committing to your new healthy lifestyle, your kids will follow suit and even act as your motivation. Once you start you will see how much happier and healthier your kids feel, you will know that you are making the best choice for their development.