Teaching Kids to Keep the Home Healthy

Parents should train their children to develop healthy habits early in life. This would bring for them benefits that will last through their lifetimes. You can teach your kids in different ways, even using educational toys and books.

The training should center in both their physical and their environment. It is a relatively easy task. But kids should follow the guidelines you set for healthy living.

Kids spend a great amount of time at home during their developmental years. Because of this, you need to establish precautions to make it a safe haven for them. Statistics have proven that a lot of children sustain unintentional injuries at home.

It is paramount therefore to raise them in a safe and healthy environment. This is essential to avoid unnecessary and harmful incidents. Taking a proactive stance could minimize the occurrences of such. Here are some tips to guide you:

Teach them window safety

Window accidents are quite common in households. They are responsible for thousands of kids ending up in emergency rooms. You can easily avoid them by installing window guards or stops.

These contraptions prevent windows from opening for more than four inches. It’s best to install these on upper-level windows for optimum safety.

There are a lot of reports of Infants getting strangled by cords on blinds or shades. The best way to avoid these is by placing the crib or other furniture away from windows.

Cordless window coverings are also available. Once you’ve secured all the windows, teach your kids how to use them properly. It’s also a good idea to teach them about window safety.

Be the best role model at home

Who can represent better healthy living than parents themselves? It’s a fact that children are best in imitation. They observe you when you eat the right foods, exercise regularly, and practice clean home habits.

If you are a great role model, they are bound to follow in the same footsteps. Be the best model for your children on health issues.

Limit the use of gadgets and electronics.

Children nowadays focus too much on electronic gadgets and devices. Their dependency on these things is alarming.

Too much TV, video games and computer time could lead to lethargy. It also comes with the consumption of more chips and junk food. This then would further lead to obesity and heart-related diseases.

Be responsible and limit your children’s time on electronic dependency. Better still, introduce them to some physical activity that would benefit their physique.

Don’t force an activity on them, let them choose one that would suit them. Enjoying the exercise would develop in them an appreciation of healthy living.

Make sure harmful products are inaccessible

Make sure that your children are safe from products that could cause damage to their health. Products like cleaners, medicines, cosmetics, perfumes, bath oils, mouthwash, aftershaves and even vitamins can pose some degree of threat.

All these and more should be inaccessible to them. Poisonous ones should belong to the shed or garage and still far from children’s reach. It is also advisable to post on your board the Poison

Control telephone number in case of any incident. Also, you might as well post all other emergency numbers that can be relevant for assistance.

Teach your kids to read food labels through a game

It should be a requirement that food products have nutrition labels. That way, even at the earliest age, children are aware of what they eat. Try making a game out of the process. Teach them what is healthy and what is not.

Explain what needs to be present and what should not be there when reading the labels. This would make them nutrition conscious. It’s a behavior habit that they should maintain their whole lives.

Stay positive and involve the whole family

Positive thinking is a great motivator when asking kids about their capabilities or preferences. Always stay positive when dealing with them.

For instance, kids hate it when you keep reminding them of what they cannot do. Instead, ask them what they CAN do and if they do it well, praise them for a job well done. Positive criticisms on their accomplishments would develop a good self-image in them.

Teach your kids fire safety too

Make sure your whole family is always prepared in case of fire. This hazard has also been responsible for accidents and deaths of many children.

The installation of smoke and fire alarms is crucial. These should be present, when possible, on every floor of the house, even the basement. Fire extinguishers are also a “must” in every household. Train each capable member of the household to use one.

Also, regularly check that these fire gadgets are working. It’s ideal to do this at least once a month to be sure they are in working condition. As soon as your child is old enough, you can teach more fire safety rules. For instance, did you know that a protein fire is one of the most common household fires? Kitchen fires can have devastating consequences and therefore it is important to supervise your children when cooking in the kitchen.

Dealing with the aftermath of a protein fire is almost always a task that is best left to the professionals, but by educating your children about kitchen and fire safety, you can prevent this type of fire from occurring in the first place.

Set realistic goals in your home

To achieve your goals on your family’s health training, such goals should be realistic. You will not expect required results if you force such training on your children. Make them appreciate the benefits of healthy living. Do this slowly but surely to let the goal develop gradually in them.

 

Author Bio:

I am Kevin  co-founder of Toys Advisors blog. I have a lovely family with my wife Anna, my son Tom and my daughter Jane. I spent most of time with my family, I learn and share  about parenting, DIY