It is important to establish healthy habits in the home because the habits and practices your children witness early on in life will become the standard for their future. Sometimes we can be tempted to slack off a bit or bend the rules, but setting a good example is well worth the time and effort. Here are three habits of healthy families that you can implement in your own homes today.
Eat meals together
When a family eats meals together, it allows parents the opportunity to share in and influence the lives of their children. When everyone eats together, parents are also given the chance to establish healthy eating habits with their kids which sets the foundation for health in the future. Children are known to imitate their parents eating habits, so if you set a good example from the start, when they get old enough to purchase their own food, they will continue to eat how they grew up. Here are some tips you can teach your kids about food:
- read food labels at the store: less ingredients the better and don’t buy it if you don’t know what it is
- eat at least 8 servings of fruit and veggies a day
- drink 6-8 cups of water a day
- substitute meat for other high protein options minimum twice a week
- start each day with a healthy breakfast
- choose foods with 100% whole grains
- use smaller plates to limit portions
Be active together
Family activities,like simple outdoor sports or hiking, are important for many reasons. It is critical for parents to demonstrate the importance of being physically active. Getting fresh air and exercise is vital for healthy growth and development. If started early enough, children will come to love being outside and being active, instead of just sitting watching TV or playing video games. Plus after working all day, parents need outdoor activity too. Just like eating together, physical activity allows time for families to bond. Here are some free outdoor activities you can do as families:
- Camp in the back yard
- Hiking in a local park
- Frisbee toss in the yard or nearby park
- Tag in the backyard
- Walking to the park
- Walking the dog (if you have one)
Here are some tips about physical activity to teach your kids:
- get 60 minutes of physical activity a day
- limit TV to 60 minutes a day
- limit video games to 30 minutes a day
- limit computer time (outside of school) to 30 minutes a day
Communicate and listen
Taking the time to let family members speak and be listened to is always important. It is important to listen to children opinions and ideas as doing so helps them develop confidence in their own abilities and thoughts. It also encourages them to express themselves. Listening to your children and encouraging their independence helps foster creativity.
It’s not just important to listen to your kids, but it is also important to listen to your spouse. Marriages function at their best when both people involved can express cares and concerns to each other. The family unit functions like an open forum or community where each member is free to express themselves with respect for others.
In this day and age, families are under pressure and strain from the fast paced world we live in and it is easy to lose sight of the simple things that really matter and suffer the consequences of doing so. In an effort to keep your family close and healthy, start next week of right by implementing these three simple habits into your routine. Not only will you all bond and feel closer but you will be setting the path for healthy futures.
This article was written by Miss T.
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I also think that eating together at home is important, not just for health, but for sharing a conversation with your spouse and children. I enjoy being active too, although, I just haven’t been taking enough time out to be active lately. I need to work on that.
@Life and My Finances I totally agree. Isn’t it amazing how many people don’t communicate in this day and age at home. Don’t beat yourself up too much about not being active lately…it is a pretty common thing this time of year.
Well, Togetherness, affection and love are the key for each healthy family.
@ Shailender Absolutely. It really is a shame that there are people out there who don’t live in families where love and affection are present.
I think “be active together” is such a valuable approach, yet many families seem to be doing just the opposite – being inactive together. Parents spend hours in front of the TV to unwind after work and kids have nothing better to do so they join them. It’s upsetting how many families opt to have dinner in front of the TV these days.
@ College Planning I know! I think it sickening how many families think that watching the TV is quality time together. When I grew up, we had limits. We could only watch one show a day. I think that if more families actually spent proper time together, we would have less health, crime, and money issues across the board.
My daughter at home just hates the outdoors. I just don’t know why she hates going out so much, but knowing her habits, she’ll lead a very unhealthy and inactive lifestyle later on in her life. When I was a kid, my dad would always take us out on walks to the tennis courts where we would play for hours on end and then we would all come home to a nice family dinner. Although we do eat together, I just don’t know how to get my daughter to enjoy the outdoors like I do.
Sorry to hear about your struggle Diana. You are not alone. There are many kids now a days that aren’t keen to be outside. I would suggest finding the activities she likes that can also be done outdoors. For example, if she likes to read, she can read outside.If she likes to visit with friends she can do that outside. Get that happening first and then slowly you can add some physical activity.
The outdoors is highly overrated. There is no reason someone can’t be active indoors with exercise equipment. Just because YOU like the outdoors, that doesn’t mean your child needs to. A child is a whole other person, not you, so treat them with respect and stop trying to make them feel like dirty simply because that aren’t a clone of what is important to you.
Your absolutely right. How I wish I have a healthy family someday. I will take this standards of yours for my future reference. I do believe that family communicate and listen each other strengthen the foundation, the love and trust in each family member.