Maintaining your own health is the foundation to a happy home, especially since you have the opportunity as a parent to teach your children about these health principles. One of the best things that a parent can do is help their children develop healthy habits in their youth, because it makes it much easier for the child to grow up with good habits that carry into adulthood. These are a few common health practices that you need to include in your home:
Dietary Health
Eating healthy meals is an important foundation to physical health. Keep junk food and sweet treats to a minimum and provide fresh, wholesome meals to enjoy together as a family around the dinner table. Pick up a copy of our Simple Weekly Plans Volume 1 or Simple Weekly Plans Volume 2 - both designed with busy families in mind, each with 28 days worth of quick, delicious and healthy meals. You can also browse through our recipe section on this website to find healthy main meal recipes and other foods that you can use at any meal.
Mental Health
Good self-esteem can be developed in young children, and this mental health largely stems from the interactions that a child has with their parents. How are you treating your child? Are you building them up in the conversation and encouraging them to set goals and improve? Create a sense of belonging for your child, and make sure they know they are an important part of your family. Also, be sure that you are providing a safe environment for them at home, so that they feel comfortable and happy to be home.
Spiritual Health
Our world is increasing in harmful influences that might endanger your child’s spiritual health. Violence, sexual content, and profanity is rampant in video games, movies, social media, and other forms of entertainment. Teach your children about making good media choices, and help them by providing wholesome options in your own home. It is also important to have regular family Bible study so that you can teach your children the importance of developing strong spiritual strength in their own lives in order to avoid these negative influences.
Emotional Health
Children need to learn how to deal with their emotions, and sometimes parents mistakenly suppress those emotions by forcing the child to behave. If your child is expressing emotions, talk with them about what they are feeling so that they understand the experiences they are having. Help them to understand that emotions aren’t a bad thing, and they can practice controlling the emotions in the right ways. All of these factors are important to help your child grow up in a well-balanced, healthy environment. As a parent, you have the responsibility to provide the right lessons and you can teach your child to navigate the difficult situations they will face in life.
