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Practical Ways to Model Healthy Choices for Your Children

Whether it feels like it or not, you have great influence over your children. They watch what you do and listen to what you say, even if they don’t always acknowledge it. And since you want them to stay healthy, safe, and happy now and through adulthood, it’s essential to think of how you can serve as a positive role model and help your kids make healthy choices. Here are a few practical suggestions for how you can help your children make sound decisions in everyday life:

mother looking at child pointing

Go back to school

Chances are your child’s education is a critical issue for you. Most kids, however, don’t realize how important it is until later in life. Along with sharing with your child the role education can play in their career and life in general, encourage them regularly to do their best. Remember to use positive reinforcement, and if necessary, devote yourself to finding different learning styles that can help them excel.

There’s another way that you can motivate your child to do well in school: going back to school yourself. In fact, showing that you can improve your career prospects while being a parent might be the most effective way to inspire your child. For instance, if you pursue an online computer science degree, you can acquire expertise in logic, data structures, AI, computer theory, and many other areas that will turn you into a sought-after professional. Likewise, a degree in business management can arm you with the knowledge and skills necessary to run a business or be a consultant for other businesses on leadership and management challenges.

Prepare healthy foods

Diet is a vital element of living a healthy life. If you practice poor eating habits, your child is likely to do the same. Not only do they need proper nutrition to develop like they’re supposed to, but they also need to form good habits that will stick with them through adulthood. Keep healthy snacks around the house, and rather than dining out all the time, prioritize family dinners where you cook nutritious meals. To go the extra mile, research healthy recipes that you can prepare with your child

Maintain an exercise routine

Exercise is right up there with diet in terms of how much it contributes to a healthy life. At the very least, be a good role model by maintaining a fitness routine yourself. Showing self-discipline, along with the benefits that come with regular exercise, can encourage your child to stay physically active for years to come. You can schedule regular family activities, whether it’s hiking, swimming, exercising to YouTube videos, or partaking in any other type of physical activity.

Another thing you can do is get your kids involved in martial arts. Children participating in martial arts can improve coordination, self-control, focus, and confidence. For expert instruction, visit All Okinawa Karate of Colorado Springs!

Know who they’re hanging out with

The friends your child chooses will make a significant impact on their health and well-being. The right friends will boost your child’s self-esteem, encourage them to make good decisions, and provide reliable companionship. The wrong friends will have the opposite effect. Make sure you know who your child’s friends are. This does not make you a helicopter parent; it means that you care and are willing to step in when your child’s well-being is at stake.

We all want our children to live healthy, safe, and happy lives. And you can help make that a reality for your child by rising to the challenge of being a good role model. Along with considering the tips above, remain open-minded to any other ways that you can encourage and inspire your son or daughter to make healthy choices throughout their life.

All Okinawa Karate of Colorado Springs is offering skilled martial arts instruction no matter your age or skill level! Visit Okinawa Karate of Colorado Springs at 7868 N. Academy Blvd., C.S., CO 80920 or call 719-232-1882 to get started!