While many parents and caregivers understandably focus on combating childhood obesity, truly being healthy is not just about attaining or remaining at a target weight. Good health involves eating right, being active, and having good hygiene habits, and these are practices that should be stressed for a child of virtually any age. Even if weight loss is a primary goal, making thoughtful dietary choices, getting regular exercise, and making hygiene a priority will likely make losing weight more attainable. Accordingly, the best ways to teach health to kids include starting early, being consistent, and getting them involved in the process.
Many people think of good health as something to recapture after it is lost to physical and lifestyle changes that often come with adulthood, and that childhood is a carefree time in terms of having to worry about being healthy. Avoiding excess sugar and sodium, for example, is just as important for children, as is being physically active on a regular basis. Teaching these good health habits when children are young will likely benefit them as they progress through their teenage and adult years as well. Accordingly, emphasizing the importance of good oral and bodily hygiene will further emphasize how to be as healthy as possible.
Children are often exceptionally intuitive, and in fact welcome guidance from the adults in their lives. This is why leading by example often works so well when attempting to get children to take an interest in being healthy. If children witness their parents or primary caregivers consistently make healthy choices at mealtimes, make an effort to exercise, and doing simple but meaningful things such as flossing and brushing their teeth, they are more likely to engage in such healthful behaviors themselves. Accordingly, allowing children to be involved in preparing or selecting healthy foods and choosing beneficial activities may keep them interested in good health for a lifetime.