Healthy Kids ~ Back to Basics?

Things change, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. For example, your kids health. Every parent wants healthy kids. But are the "times" making it harder to keep your kids healthy? Maybe. Let us take a stroll back in time. Healthy kids may just mean getting back to basics.

Back to basics with sleep

When we were young, we had a bedtime and it was upheld no matter what time of the year it was. My mother had us to bed promptly by 8:00. In the summertime it would still be light outside! I didn't understand then just how healthy this was for us. Sleep recharges the body. Sleep recharges the mind. Sleep helps the body ward off disease.

Back to basics with food

Food was food in the past. You didn't have all of the chemicals and preservatives back then. And my mom made our meals from scratch. No prepackaged foods. Did this make us healthier as kids? There were 3 healthy meals a day..no skipping. It wasn't the quantity, it was the quality of the food that made us healthy kids. Sugar and snacks may play a big part as well. IF we had treats, it was usually cookies, cake or pie made from scratch by mom and grandma. No artificial sweeteners and we definitely did not eat a snack in place of a meal. Snacks were special and something to be excited about, not part of a healthy daily meal.

Back to basics with beverages

Milk and water were the prime beverages in our life growing up. I was allergic to milk so water was more of a staple for me than milk. We RARELY had kool-aid or fizzies back then. That was for something special like having a friend over. Pop was almost always for special occasions too and it was made with sugar, not corn syrup and came in a glass bottle. Healthy? No. But we had it so rarely. Can you raise a healthy kid on sugary beverages?

Back to basics with playtime

Outside activities are healthy for kids. But in these days most sit in front of the tv or computer. No sunshine, no building of imaginations of cowboys and Indians. Healthy kids need to get the cobs blown out by a brisk breeze and fresh air! As do we all.

Inside games are basically something that requires batteries or electricity these days. Take a two week hiatus from them and drag out a deck of cards or some board games. A healthy kid needs family interaction, not just a computerized toy talking back at him/her.

Back to basics with family time

I think in this day and age with both parents working it is hard for families to spend time together every day. Sit down for those meals. Your kids do not have to be in every extra curricular activity to be a healthy kid. Let them pick 1 or 2. Then spend time with your kids at home. Be curious about their day and actually be interested when they try to tell you about it. Will family time make a healthy kid? Well, maybe a mentally healthy kid. A child that KNOWS he/she is loved by their family. That love can go a long way in staying healthy and in healing.

Getting back to basics with chores

Large or small, all kids need to have a healthy respect for work. If you give your kid everything, how is that child to learn the value of a dollar, much less how to spend it wisely? Have guilt over not spending enough time with your child? Don't try to compensate by throwing money and material things at them. It doesn't teach them the lessons of doing something to earn that money or pair of jeans. Chores can be healthy..mentally and physically.

These are just a few ways that maybe we can achieve healthier children. Want a healthy kid? Maybe it IS time to get back to basic