Living Healthy- Kids and Adults

Children and adults need a more healthy lifestyle. With the hustle and bustle of work, school, sports, functions, etc both kids and adults can get frustrated and stressed. As adults, we have more options to calm down than children. It is much easier to raise your children in a healthy lifestyle than to try and fix things later on. There are a lot of things that go into a healthy lifestyle. We need to be healthy in our minds, bodies, and spirits. First let's start with our minds.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. That's what my mother always said. No matter what field of work you're in, there is always stress. Coming home from work ranting and raving about the day isn't going to help your children. Seeing mom or dad in that kind of light isn't healthy. On the ride home from work, try and focus on the home. I always take that 10-15 minute drive to relax and rid myself of the stressful events of the day. I focus on dinner, my son, etc. That way, by the time I pick my son up at daycare, he sees happy mommy, not crazy psycho mommy. It also shows children that at the end of the day they are cared about and part of your focus. Also, spirituality can help. For those who are religious, you know that praying or spending time at church or in groups can help ease the stresses of daily life. Many believe that having faith helps promote a healthy lifestyle in all persons regardless of age.

Communication is another key to a healthy lifestyle. Open communication with your partner and children will help children grow. They will talk to you about things that are bothering them, or things they need help with. It allows you and your children to get to know each other and learn from each other. Knowing that your children will come to you first with any problems will ease your mind about things.

Now let's talk about our bodies. Healthy eating is one of many ways towards a healthy lifestyle. Start young with your children. My son loves fruits, veggies, and healthy snacks. I can proudly say that in his 21 months of life he has never had soda, chips, or junk food. His treat after eating his dinner is applesauce or yogurt. If he eats a cookie outside of the home, it's an oatmeal or plain sugar cookie. Making these healthy choices for yourselves and your children is a great way to promote this type of lifestyle. Along with being healthy choices, fruits and vegetables help beat stress, nausea, and fatigue. Cutting down on caffeine helps lower your stress level. Chose tea instead, and possibly decaf. There are many benefits to organic foods. Exercise is also a good way to help our bodies. For those of us, like myself, who aren't really into sports or formal exercise, yoga and pilates are great. They can also help the mind too. These forms of exercise are simple, and promote relaxation. Get your children involved in these or other forms of exercise. It allows you to work out all the kinks from a hard day. Being involved in family activities is fun for all. Children will appreciate getting to spend quality time with you.

Having faith is part of the spirit category. Of course, talk to your children about how you believe. Ask them questions along the way so that children can think about how they personally feel about certain things. Encourage free thinking with them. Allow them to raise questions with you, and be honest. It's better to start young. With my son, every book gets talked about after the story is finished. He's a bit young yet, but he understands things on a higher level. He knows that someone with their eyes closed is sleeping. He knows that this person is taking a rest and isn't afraid. I allow him to tell me things about each book. This way, not only are we working on his vocabulary, but he is understanding concepts about the world around him. Try this with your children. Explaining faith to them, and allowing them to tell you how these things make them feel. Ask them questions like, " What do you think about God? What kinds of things do you think He does? How does God make you feel?" Listen to what they say and don't criticize. As they grow, they will be more in tuned with their feelings and more aware of the world around them. These things will help in teaching your children to live a healthy lifestyle.