Community Investors Inc.

Every parent wants to make sure that their kids are happy and healthy. But maybe you’re concerned that your children aren’t eating enough nutritious foods or getting enough exercise. Keeping your kids active and nourished can be challenging, which is why organizations like the Community Investors work to further the welfare of children in the community. Here are a few tips you can apply in your household to motivate your children in making healthy choices!

Emphasize Education

It’s important to help your children set goals and learn to stick to them. This is particularly crucial when it comes to education. You don’t need to wait until they’re in high school to start talking about their future goals! In the meantime, you can set a great example by going after your own goals. 

For example, maybe you’ve postponed getting your own degree because parenthood has kept you busy. If you’d like to go back to school, but you can’t attend classes at a brick-and-mortar campus, you could consider enrolling in an online degree program for affordability and flexibility. You’ll be able to keep up with your family obligations while learning at your preferred pace. You could earn your bachelor of science in a field like education, which would allow you to work with students in preschool and elementary school. Or you could pursue a business degree to round out your professional skill set.

Exercise Together

Perhaps your children aren’t big fans of gym class, and you’re concerned that they’re spending too much time looking at screens when they’re home. It’s time to find a form of exercise that your children enjoy! You might want to try out sports you can enjoy in your backyard, like basketball, soccer, or even tennis. You could also ask your kids if they would be interested in taking lessons in sports like swimming or gymnastics.

Stay Active on a Daily Basis

In addition to organized exercising, you can make sure that your kids get moving on a daily basis, even if they’re not playing a sport. For instance, could you and your family walk to take care of errands rather than driving? If you live close enough to your children’s school, could they ride their bikes there? Get creative when it comes to maintaining an active lifestyle – you may have more opportunities to move your body than you think!

Plan Nutritious Meals

Maybe your children always crave sugary treats and avoid veggies. You can try incorporating more vegetables and fruits into their diet while cutting down on the amount of sugar they eat. Eat This, Not That! recommends making vegetable dips, letting your kids have vegetables like carrot sticks as an “appetizer” before dinner, blending greens or other veggies into smoothies or pasta sauces. Teaching them basic cooking skills is also a great way to help them eat healthier – when they’re ready to cook for themselves, they’ll already know some simple, nutritious recipes.

Talk About Tough Topics

You may be worried that your children will experiment with drugs or alcohol in the future. But as a parent, you can address this topic in a mature fashion and deter your children from the temptation to dry these substances. Health Park Pediatrics recommends being clear about your own rules against using drugs and alcohol and then explaining the reasons why these substances are so harmful, like the negative health effects and the expense. When your children understand their reasoning, they are more likely to respect your rules.

Encouraging your kids to make healthy decisions on their own takes effort. But with time, you can show them the value of practicing healthy habits. Soon, they’ll recognize how to make choices that support their mental and physical health.