Making sure your child is happy and healthy is the number one priority for any parent. Closely monitoring their health can help you keep an eye on their growth and development, as well as help enforce good habits for when they’re older.
Here are some useful tips for how to monitor your child’s health – so you can rest assured they’re the happiest they can be.
Encourage good dental hygiene
You only have one set of teeth. Encouraging kids to take care of their dental health early by encouraging good dental hygiene can prevent the need for fillings and replacement teeth.
Simple things like a proper teeth-cleaning routine (using an egg timer to properly time 2 minutes!), regular checkups at the dentist, and showing them how to use a water flosser, can help them keep their gorgeous toothy grin for as long as possible.
Limit screen time
According to a BBC survey, 79% of parents feel that children have used screens more since the pandemic.
While screens can be hard to avoid – especially if they’re using them for school homework – limiting your child’s screen time and encouraging them to play outside or with something else is important for healthy development.
Promote a balanced diet
Eating a balanced diet is essential for growing kids. Just like adults, children should aim to eat 5 or more portions of fruit and veg every single day. Not only are they a great source of vitamins and minerals, but they’re also an excellent source of fibre.
Experts recommend that kids get most of their calories from healthier foods like fruit and vegetables. They also suggest sticking to starchier foods like potatoes, bread, pasta and rice for that much-needed energy boost that all children need to keep exploring.
Get everyone active
Getting them to do regular physical exercise is another way you can ensure your child leads a healthy life – particularly activities that strengthen their muscles, as well as increase their breathing and heart rate.
Aim for about 60 minutes of physical activity a day for good health. However, this could be split into several short 10-minute bursts if needed. The important thing is to just get them moving!
Parenting isn’t easy, especially if you’re a first-time parent. However, with these handy tips on how to encourage your kids to lead a healthy lifestyle, you can monitor your child’s development – and breathe a sigh of relief that they’re doing alright!