Good habits we should all practice with our children

**Collaborative post**

We all want the best for our children. Whilst things like academic or sporting performances are not for everyone, we should all strive for a child who is healthy and happy.

Pushy parents might try to organise their children’s entire life because they think they know what is best for them, but our kids are their own people, and we should be trying to foster habits in them that they can develop into real traits that they value later in life.

This list then is for parents of younger children who are trying to instil the right habits

Hygiene

Let’s get this out there to begin with, hygiene routines are dull for young children. Things like regularly washing hands and bathing, brushing teeth twice a day and flossing, as well as regular trips to the dentist, would not be on the average kids wish list, but there are all kinds of ways you can push your child into a good routine. Appointments at Vallance Dental Centre are easy to book and takes just minutes away from your day but will be something your kids will be thankful for when they are adults.

My go to tactic is using rewards, this might just be a bedtime story or letting them leave the lights on when they sleep but start with small milestones and work your way up.

Ps and Qs

I’m going to admit this. I was never good with manners until I was an adult. This stopped me from meeting new people and developing bonds, which is something I really regret. By starting with manners young we are giving our children the best chance to develop charm and charisma that will benefit them so much later in life.

Top tips to work on to begin with are being courteous to others by practising your please and thank you, covering your mouth when yawning, and developing a strong introduction with new people such as having a firm handshake and strong eye contact.

Remember though, our children learn from us, so it is incredibly important that we are practising these habits also and highlighting when others are not as courteous as they should be.

Physical Health

Eating healthy and physical exercise go hand in hand in contributing to everyone’s physical health. It’s recommended that children over the age of five should do at physical exercise at least three times a week. This can be any type of exercise such as playing at school, riding a scooter or even walking the dog, by working play into exercise as much as possible it will be a fun activity rather than a chore by your children, who will find it easier to maintain.

Healthy eating habits are just as important to maintain. This means getting a varied diet and not just relying on specific foods, avoiding processed food and food high in sugar and instead opting for fruit and vegetables instead, as well as limiting portion size.

This may be harder to enforce than exercise, but don’t get frustrated if your food choices aren’t well received at first. Children can try a type of food 10 times before developing a taste for it, so remain patient. Also, by having a regular meal time where everyone sits down to eat the same meal is another way of getting children to accept the food choices you’ve made.

Positive Mindset

The benefits to exercising and eating right are well stated, improvements to cardiovascular health, healthy weight and bone and muscle strength are all important, however, these often-stated benefits are quite dry, and I find it hard to get motivated by this alone. But it’s about more than just physical health. Exercising and eating right can be great for your mentality and your mental health.

Getting active can destress you over a hard day, improve your self-confidence, and build self-determination, which are all things our children are dealing with too.

Managing your mindset through exercise and diet is important, but other factors will also affect your children’s mental health. A sense of belonging, resilience and development are also all key.

Never be afraid to slather praise on your children when they deserve it. Push them to make their own decisions and to try to better themselves, but also let them make mistakes and learn to brush them off.

Read Everyday

I love story time with my kids. By setting aside time alone with my children a couple of times a week really helps create a bond. I love watching as my children grow in confidence, as we now do funny impressions and sound effects along with the story.

Reading is a valuable tool for building a child’s vocabulary, it helps them retain information that they read – or are read to – as well as improving concentration and developing their imagination and creativity.

Enforcing habits

There are several ways we can enforce healthy habits for our children.

The absolute number one is to always practice what you preach. Children naturally mimic their parents, and so you might be pleasantly surprised to see your children copying your better traits, just don’t be surprised when they develop a sweet tooth when you can’t help yourself too!

Another method of promoting positive traits is through positive reinforcement. Praise your children if they do something positive, especially if they do this without being told. When they do something extra special, you can go all out and spoil them. I like to use Custom Gifts to treat my children. Personalised gifts are extra special and are so much more memorable than most stuff my kids stop playing with the same weekend. Make sure you only reserve buying them stuff for when they have done something extra special.

I only tend to use punishment when my children have crossed the line, such as if they are being deliberately rude rather than just forgetting to say please or thank you. Taking away their favourite game or sending them to bed without pudding will soon get them realising who is boss.

They might act out at first, but once children understand that you only want the best for them, they are more likely to follow the rules in the future.

[AdSense-A]