Healthy Kids Healthy Future

There are many values we want to give our kids. The list is endless, and there is a constant balance to instill what we feel is important. This to me is the most challenging, and yet most rewarding of all my parenting responsibilities. To see my little ones display values that I feel are important, makes my heart proud and oh so happy.

One of the many values I want to give my kids is to take care of their health. This is not just about fitness and eating right. A big part of this is to give my kids a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Having a healthy body and mind is near and dear to my heart. Making healthy choices and loving ourself through the process can be a tall order, but something I strive for everyday for myself and something I want to give to my kids.

We know that childhood obesity, low self esteem and eating disorders are all too common in our society, but what can we do to give our kids a healthy relationship with food, exercise and their body image. This is hard, and by no means am I an expert, but I do believe we should be aware of our own words and our own actions. We should take time to stop and think about our choices and what our kids see us doing and saying. We have to end the pressure of what we feel from others. Don’t let what others think or do, and especially how they make us feel, change what we teach our kids.

I have worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years and I have seen it all. I am a healthy person. I do my best to make healthy choices. I love exercise. I love finding healthy nutrition for my family. I love food. I know that there is not a magic pill to keep us healthy. It takes every day choices to have a healthy life. With all that said….I am by no means extreme in any of these choices. I love balance and I strongly believe more is not always better. We have to love and respect our body, and take care of it.

When it comes to our kids, we should think about what we say and what we do every day….

Do…always talk about wanting a healthy and strong body, and wanting to feel good. Avoid talking about weight and size. As they get older, teach them about their body and how our heart needs exercise to keep it strong and healthy, and that our muscles need oxygen to be pumped throughout our body to feel good. Our mind also needs exercise to feel clear and less stressed.

Do…try to create a lifestyle of being active, without making exercise seem miserable. Find activities they enjoy and create activities for the family to enjoy together. Yes, many times it isn’t fun for them, but the younger we can start just “being active”, helps in the long run. There are so many activities to choose from for kids.

Do…keep it positive.  If it is still a struggle to get active, make it about spending time with them. Going for a walk, bike ride, or swimming laps a few times a week together. Remind them that we want to stay healthy too.

Do…take rest days. We don’t want them to think they can’t take a day off. Like all things, there is a balance. It is good to have days off from exercise and sports.

Do…always talk about our bodies in a positive way, and not let our physical body appearance become such a big focus. If we are always talking down our own body, or even always talking about our body in general, they are going to become consumed and eventually obsessed with thinking about their own body in a negative way. The talk should always be about feeling strong, healthy and good.

Do…encourage them to eat a variety of foods. Encourage them to try everything on their plate, but not clean their plate. Encourage them to eat a balance of protein, veggies and to try new things. Even if they don’t like something, still try to serve it again….not all the time, but try it again.

Do…teach our kids WHY they should choose sweets in moderation, and WHY it is best not to eat artificial ingredients, rather than just telling them no. It takes time, but as they get older they understand, and even look at the labels, to see if the nasty food dye is in what they are eating. Just like anything we teach our kids, it takes repetition and living it every day. Kids love to ask why anyway.

Do…keep trying a variety of vegetables. When we have a picky eater, we have to just keep trying. One of mine likes to say no to anything new and even says no to many things she has liked in the past. I just don’t give up. Over time, she now eats things she used to dislike. She tries more new things than ever before, and has a few vegetables she will eat, raw included. It wasn’t easy, but just don’t give up.

Do…try to make meals enjoyable. I know this is a struggle, like many good lessons in parenting, but this means so much in the long run. Talk about other things while you are eating. Make your kids feel good at dinner time. Focus on something besides your picky eater for the whole meal. If it is all about them in a negative way, this could make their future view of food, and their relationship with food, a constant struggle.

Do…eat at least 3 meals a day, without skipping meals, and we shouldn’t punish ourselves if we made bad choices, or if we overeat. It is a balance. We all should enjoy treats in moderation, and this is what we should teach our kids. Healthy eating is 3 healthy meals a day and healthy snacks in between, or 4-5 small meals each day . Teach them about portion sizes in the right way. Teach them that we won’t feel good if we eat too much at every meal. Our body can only digest so much at a time. It is ok to have treats, we just don’t eat 3 pieces of cake and we don’t go out for ice cream every day. Make it a treat. Make it special.

Do…let them take part in meal time. My picky eater loves to help in the kitchen. She makes salad dressings, smoothies, eggs and more. She is picky, but over time, with exhausting patience, I have learned she will eat some salads, she likes spinach in her smoothies and just recently likes frozen blueberries in her smoothies….which she has always thought blueberries were gross. She mostly just loves to be included. There are times I won’t even put something on her plate knowing she doesn’t like it, but after watching all of us enjoy it through the meal, she gets some to try. It is such a game with some of them, just play along, but don’t make it miserable. It can be work…but try to change your perspective and make it fun.

Yes, this is work every day. Yes, this can be frustrating. If you are wanting to raise good kids with good values, it is hard work. Don’t give up when it gets tough. We have to stop giving in to our kids because they want to challenge us. If they are challenging us, we are probably parenting really good. The values and character traits in us that really matter and make us good people, usually take a lot of work. For the future of our kids, let’s do the work. It matters.