Experts say that the growth of brain and bones will be completed up to 90 per cent before 6 years of age. Nearly 40 percent of toddlers and children are suffering malnutrition and poor growth worldwide according to WHO reports. To fight malnutrition, parents run around nutritional formulae and medication, but little changes in lifestyle can save so much time.
The health of our children since nutritional boosters might be allergic to some kids and sometimes toddlers might not respond to medication and desired results might not be obtained. At times, prevention is better than cure and hence motivating kids to make healthy diet and lifestyle habits will help your journey of happy parenting. Here are a few healthy tips for kids.
- Sufficient sleep
Take care that your child will have a sufficient sleep during the night because a child needs 10 hours of sleep up to the age of 12 years. Human growth hormone release will be higher during sleep, and it acts as a supplement for the proper growth of your child. Sufficient sleep at night is a vital requirement for the growth of your child and mental well- being in the rest of life. Co Sleeping with parents is necessary for kids around 3 years of age which helps them to have a secure and sound sleep. Take care that mobile phones and electronic gadgets are away from kids during their bedtime. Reading out stories will help you to have a better bedtime and improve your bond with your kids.
- Eat Together as a family
Eating together as a family is helpful to introduce healthy diet habits and table manners for your kids and improve your relationship with them. Since children grow up watching your habits, they unknowingly learn healthy eating habits and good table behavior without being taught. Also, you can make your child consume healthy diet since they watch your diet habits and learn to eat nutritious food by themselves. A child above two years of age can be fed what the parents and other family members eat. Using the feeding chair or booster chair is helpful for babies above 6 months of age and below one year of age. Inculcating the habit of eating along with the family can be done after 2 years of age. Though they seem picky eaters in the beginning, they gradually make it a habit to eat along with family.
- Clean and sufficient water
Most of the infections are caused due to unhygienic and infected water. Hence, take care that your kid takes a sufficient amount of water every time and drinks clean water. Use copper or metallic containers instead of plastic bottles to prevent contamination of water. Your child needs at least 6-8 glasses of water every day.
- Positivity
Positivity releases growth hormone. Positively encourage children to cultivate healthy habits. Ask them to dance or play with you and appreciate their effort. Take care that you do not yell at them all the time but try to explain about good behaviour patiently.
- Avoid Junk food
Junk food might cause issues like obesity, hypothyroidism, and diabetes among children. Take care that you limit the consumption of junk food or prevent completely for well being of your child. A study shows that kids around 2 to 10 years of age are gradually becoming victims of obesity and diabetes due to junk food worldwide. Every mother wants to feed her child till her tummy is full. But take care that you feed your child what they need to eat but not what they want to eat.
- Physical exercise
Physical exercise is not a must for kids around 12 years of age. But in the recent past, parents are pressuring kids for a sedentary lifestyle and a strict study schedule. In some countries, parents encourage kids to go to school by walk or bicycle to keep them physically active. Take care that your child has sufficient playtime and play more outdoor games for physical and mental health. Lack of physical activity might be the hidden reason for obesity. Take care that your kids involved in physical exercise and play every day at least for an hour to avoid complications in the long run.
- High Protein diet
Carbohydrates and Proteins play a crucial role in the strengthening of body and muscles as well as brain among toddlers and kids. Take care that your kid’s diet contains a balanced diet along with high proteins to meet the need for complete growth. Use of pasteurized milk, eggs, meat, and pulses help to fill the need for protein among children. Use of lentils and nuts in diet helps the kid to attain the proper amount of protein from the diet. Proteins and fats are crucial for the development of the brain. Hence, take care that your kid gets balanced fats and high proteins from the diet.
- Multiple Meals
Take care that your kid eats several meals a day in smaller quantities to meet the nutritional needs. Kids will have smaller tummies and bigger nutritional needs. Hence, they need several meals in smaller quantities.
- Cut down sugars
Sugar and caffeine contained in sweets and other confectionery are harmful to the teeth enamel and heart health among kids. Hence, substitute sugar with other foods to prevent such problems in the long run. You can try honey as a substitute but kids below 3 years of age might be allergic to honey. Ask your paediatrician before introducing new foods if your kid is allergic to some kinds of food.
- Consuming fruits and vegetables
Consuming fruits will be more helpful for kids when compared to consumption of fruit juices. Consuming fruits directly is better because they contain natural sugars whereas juices may contain added sugar. You can introduce a colorful presentation of vegetables to attract your kids towards a healthy diet.
Cultivating healthy diet and lifestyle habits for kids is a tricky thing since some might be fussy eaters. But if you follow a healthy lifestyle, making your kid eating healthy and living healthy will be more comfortable.Follow these healthy tips for kids and stay happy and healthy family easily.