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Healthy Kids... Healthy
Minds
From the HealthyKids.com Website See more
Good food habits and daily physical activity – if your child has these,
they're well on the way to a healthy life. But achieving this isn't always
so simple.
 In short: feed your children well and get them doing daily activity. Easy
to say, but not so easy to do. But if you start small and build it up,
you can achieve amazing and long-lasting results. There are five simple
ways for you and your children to get started.
1. Do an hour of activity every day
Children need at least 60 minutes of activity each day. There are many
ways to get them active, including being active as a family, learning how
to get them motivated, and coaching sport teams.
2. Choose water as a drink
Water is the best thirst-quencher you can give kids. In contrast, sugary
drinks are not only unhealthy but actually make children thirstier.
3. Eat more fruit and vegetables
Research shows that kids aren’t eating enough fruit and vegetables. Find
out about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables and learn some
simple ways to incorporate them into everyday meals.
4. Turn off the TV or computer and get active
Two hours a day. That’s the recommendation for the maximum time kids should
be in front of a small screen (TV, computer or whatever’s the latest
thing). There’s no need to be a spoilsport about it, but setting limits
brings real benefits.
5. Eat fewer snacks and select healthier alternatives
Snacking happens when kids are hungry. If they’re hungry you need to have
healthy snacks on hand. You can also work on feeding them up so they
don’t get so hungry.
From the HealthyKids.com Website See
more |
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How to motivate kids
Saying 'Get up and do something!' to a child often ends up achieving
the opposite. But if you take a less direct approach the results
can be amazing. Lead by example and set up the conditions in which
to be active, so your child can find their own way.
Being a role model
Kids will usually follow what you do more than what you say. If they
see you enjoying physical activity and having fun, it will motivate
them to be more active.
Providing the right conditions
With a bit of planning you can set up the conditions for getting
active:
Have a range of active ideas for when your
child says ‘I’m bored’ – hide and seek, skipping, throwing and catching,
etc.
Buy gifts that encourage physical activity, such as balls, bats or
skipping ropes.
Create fun and exciting opportunities for activity, e.g. after school
or on weekends. Keeping it going
Long-term motivation is not so easy to achieve. Once your child is
up and active, take some sensible steps to keep it going:
Keep it interesting.
Encourage them to try something different if
they lose interest in one activity. Variety also ensures they develop
a range of skills.
Be flexible with the weather and different seasons. |
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