Teaching Our Kids to Lead Healthy Lives

We know how important it is to walk the talk in teaching our kids to live a healthy lifestyle. What good does it do to tell them to eat right and exercise when we don't practice what we preach? Life can get so hectic and crazy, and it's easy to understand how taking time for yourself slips through the cracks. However it's important for children to see that their parents are not just role models, but humans who also take the time to care for themselves. Here are a few ways to carve out time for exercise and keep your household a healthier and happier place.

The kids are back in school and many moms and parents use this time to catch up with work, errands, and cleaning. Yet tomorrow there will still be more to do even if you take an hour for a walk, a job, or some time at the gym. You'll have more energy and feel better in the long run.

Take the kids for an after school walk or bike ride. They've been cooped up inside most of the day and they need a break as much as you do. Homework can get done a little later. Even if you only go around the block or to a local park you're all moving and getting some fresh air. Everyone grab a piece of fruit and head outside!

Weekends are another time in which we try and cram all of our unfinished chores. Make sure to plan an hour or so each day to exercise, with or without the kids. Chances are they have plans with friends and you'll have some spare time. If you can't afford a gym membership, consider joining the Y or a community center. They generally have a sliding scale with the added benefit of activities for kids, especially after school and on the weekends.

Nutrition is just as important as exercise. If you don't buy junk food, it can't be consumed. If there are lots of fresh fruit, veggies, and other healthy foods in the house they will be eaten. Studies in schools have shown that if children are offered something healthy often enough they will eventually eat it, and like it too. Just like with any discipline it's a matter of persistence.

Talk to them about why we should eat certain foods and not junk food. Rent Supersize Me and watch it as a family. Ask them questions about their favorite foods and why they like them. Talk about moderation and how it's okay to have sweets and fast food sometimes, just not every day. Constant dialogue is the best way to help them understand the why, which is important for long term understanding.

Making time for ourselves as parents and teaching our children the benefits of a healthy lifestyle is essential in this new millennium. Knowledge is really the only way to fight off the growing trends of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other diet related diseases. Caring for ourselves and our families is just as important as any other daily chore.