Children growing up in North America today are at risk of being the first generation in modern memory that will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
--Dr. David Katz, heart expert
The alarms have sounded. Health experts are greatly concerned about the overall health of our children and teenagers. They’re worried about how sedentary our kids have become. They’re concerned about our kids’ eating habits. They’re bothered that too many kids don’t get enough sleep. As a parent, it’s easy to become paralyzed by what the health experts are saying, especially since many kids seem to slip in and out of good health habits (while others seems to gravitate toward more bad health habits than good). Yet there are many things you can do to help your kids get on the right track and keep from sliding too far into bad health habits.
Tips for . . .
· all parents
o Recognize that health habits change constantly.
o Make health habits fun.
o Celebrate small successes.
· parents with children ages birth to 5
o Encourage healthy habits from an early age.
o Do physical activities together.
o Be patient during power struggles.
· parents with children ages 6 to 9
o Create a fruit and vegetable chart.
o Talk about the importance of learning to swim.
o Have your child help you cook.
· parents with children ages 10 to 15
o Monitor your child’s consumption of soda.
o Continue to encourage your child to be active.
o Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
· parents with children ages 16 to 18
o Keep monitoring activity and eating habits.
o Make family meals a priority.
o Ask your teen about the kinds of physical activity he or she enjoys.
Visit MVParents.com and read more in Raising Healthy Kids , our newest Everyday Issues resource.
