Family and Social Health

Family health is becoming an increasing concern and place of focus as families strive to be healthy in a physical way as well as in a family unit kind of way. Increasing social activities as a family is not only a great way to bring the family closer together, but by using the tips below, can be a way to focus on physical health as well! Involving other families has the added bonus of developing social health outside the family unit as well as within!

There is one word that can be used to describe one of the most important aspects of social health: respect. As parents, we strive to teach our children respect by directly correcting them and hopefully by providing a positive role model for them to look up to. Generally, when the term "social health" is mentioned, people tend to think of sexual activity and safe health practices, but in all reality, how we behave sexually is based on what we learn at home, within our society and how we feel about ourselves. One way to promote good social health is to cultivate it with real life experiences.

We may be extremely busy as parents trying to provide for our children, but we also have an obligation to help them develop in some indirect ways. Use the tips below to help your child to develop respect for themselves and others through social and family activities.

Get out and get physical: Now, we all know there is a correlation between physical health and mental health. A family who spends time together doing physical activities is not only promoting physical health. They are supporting each other and developing health habits and respect for their bodies. Some suggestions for activities for families to do together are walking, playing a sport, gardening, bicycling and many other free family activities.

Share a Meal: Families who share a meal together have the chance to sit down and chat over dinner. Not only does this offer the parent a chance to chat with their children, it also offers them a way to teach about healthy eating habits. Children can become active in the eating habits by helping to prepare meals or create menus. Have an inexpensive night out to dinner by taking children to places where kids can eat for free!

Get to Know the Community: A parent is a child's first role model. How children develop their social skills is based in part on how the parents exhibit social skills. Families who are active in the community are not only developing social skills, but if they exhibit positive social skills, they are also helping other children in the community to learn those skills. Children notice things like language, inflections and response to other people. Are you teaching your child to respect themselves through your demonstration of social skills?

The bottom line is that children need to learn to respect themselves first if they are going to develop positive social health. The family unit can provide the foundation for social health in the children of the family by teaching respect through role modeling and direct communication. Those who have a healthy respect for themselves will be less likely to seek out acceptance from others in unhealthy ways such as sexual activity.

Reference: http://www.socialhealth.org/