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This past weekend we celebrated Mother’s Day. If you are a mom, I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day. I enjoyed every moment of the day from attending church to the brunch my husband made for the family. As I was relaxing throughout the day, I found my mind wandering and thinking about families and what they may be doing to celebrate. Enjoy today’s article on how to keep your family healthy.
When my girls were young, we would split the time between the grandparents. Those visits couldn’t be more different from each other or from how many live their lives today.
At my mother n law’s home, the visits were focused around food and snacks. The kids did play outside but unfortunately grandma stayed mainly in the house as her health had been an issue as long as I could remember. The kids would come in to see grandma and would grab chips, candy and soda each time they came in the house. Grandma had it sitting out for them.
At my mother’s home things were a bit different and the visits were more active. The kids mainly stayed outdoors and played when the weather was nice. Very similar to how I remember my childhood where we were out from morning until the street lights came on except for when we were called into to eat lunch or dinner. Grandma would also give them a treat but it was one treat at the end of the visit.
Today things are much different. Families might be in the same room, but with so many distractions, may not be actually talking to each other. Further with the many electronic devices we always seem to have in our hands or within reach, we are sitting quite a bit more than we used to. Progress? Yes but at what health cost to our families?
Whatever the reason families may have gotten off track, one thing you can be sure of is that your children are watching you. Our children and grandchildren see everything we do even when we don’t think they are paying attention. You have the power to change your family’s habits from those that may not be as healthy as you’d like. Below are a few tips to get you moving in the right direction. Remember to take it slow so that your don’t end up battling with your kids.
- Break the fast food cycle as soon as you can. Fast food doesn’t provide your family with the nutrition they need so it’s best to eat dinner at home whenever possible. Yes I get it. You work all day and then you run the kids to whatever practice or event they may have and it’s easy to let family dinners slide because we’re so busy . I did the same thing when my girls were young but we did eat dinner at home as often as possible. On the days your family has nothing scheduled, prepare a quick yet healthy dinner or if possible get ahead of the game and use a crock pot to have dinner ready when you get home. Sit at the kitchen table and enjoy a few minutes together.
- After dinner especially when the weather is nice, head outdoors and just play. Could be as simple as a game of tag or hide n seek. Bring back those games you remember playing as a child and create new memories for your kids to cherish.
- Set a bedtime. Many kids are living the lives that we as adults are living rushing from the time they open their eyes until they literally fall into bed. This lack of sleep can really hurt your kids not only in school but in everything they do each day. Set a bedtime that works for your family then start winding down 30 minutes prior. For younger kids, an 8:00 bedtime is ideal while for older kids 9:30 – 10 may be better. Whatever your family decides, unplugging 30 minutes before the set time will help your kids fall asleep quicker.
Just incorporating these three things when you can during the week will not only help improve your children’s and grandchildren’s health but yours too. Take a cue from a child and go outside and just play.
To your health,
Denise
