5 Lifestyle Habits to Consider That Will Benefit Your Kids

lifestyle

Children learn what they live. What does that mean? It means that your lifestyle habits have a great deal of influence over who your children become. Everyone wants what is best for their children. Making changes yourself can help. There are five lifestyle habits that you can adopt that will help your children now and in the future.

1. Adopt Healthy Oral Hygiene Habits

Tooth decay is 100% avoidable with the right steps. Let oral health be a very important part of your lifestyle and it will become an important part of your child’s lifestyle. According to the American Dental Association, about 20% of school-age children have at least one tooth that has tooth decay that parents have not gotten treated.

Cavities do not have to be a part of childhood. They are painful, they can spread to other teeth, and most of all, they are completely avoidable. Good oral hygiene habits like brushing and flossing are important preventives. Of course, seeing your dentist every six months is another important part. Children that grow up in homes where good oral health is a priority will make good oral health a priority in their lives.

2. Be Environmentally Aware

Making lifestyle changes that help to benefit the environment is important on many levels and can help you raise children that take their commitment to the environment seriously. Create a lifestyle that is considerate of the environment and let your children see you doing things like recycling. It is a slight change that can have a tremendous impact down the road.

Talk to your kids about the state of the environment and share ideas for doing your part. Did you know waste treatments remove about 85%-95% of pollutants from wastewater, so that treated wastewater can be discharged? Minor facts like this can help children to understand the surrounding world and how it works. Of course, it also drives home how important it is not to pollute the planet further. Kids are the future. To protect the future of the planet, raise kids that want to care for the environment.

3. Read To Your Children

Study after study has confirmed that parents that make reading a part of their lifestyle raise kids that read and do better in school. Read to your children and let them see you reading. Children will develop good reading habits which can help them academically and emotionally. Make continuing education a part of your lifestyle.

Put some real thought into where your children will be educated. It matters. According to a recent study by the Montessori International School, 140 children, 70 of which attended Montessori preschools, were tested on math and literacy over a three-year period. The children that attended the Montessori preschool were more advanced than the children that did not, according to test scores.

4. Consider Your Food Choices

If your lifestyle is full of beer and chips, keep in mind that even the youngest of children are looking to their parents for guidance. Raising your children in a home where eating good nutritious food is a priority will show them what they should eat. Many parents do not realize that their lifestyle is modeling behavior for children as young as six months old. Making good healthy food choices a part of your lifestyle will send messages to your child about what they should be chosen as well.

5. Get Out And Play Often

Make exercise a fun part of your lifestyle. Take hikes with your child. Play with the dog in the yard. Go swimming. There are so many things that you can do outside that will set the pace for your child as they grow. Ride bikes together. Hunt for lizards in the backyard. Have fun while you get in those steps. An outdoor lifestyle that is full of adventure and fun is a great way to get in some exercise that does not feel like exercise, and it is also a great way to set your child up for a lifetime of good health.

Remember, as a parent, everything you do is being monitored by the little ones in your home. Make positive lifestyle changes that will positively affect your children for the rest of their lives.