Forming Healthy Habits For Your Child

Forming Healthy Habits For Your Child

It’s important to start teaching children healthy habits as early as possible. But rather than simply telling your children how to take care of their bodies and keep and keep healthy, it’s essential to teach your child the “why.” When children grow up understanding why these habits are important, they become ingrained in them like second nature. Consult a pediatrician in Plainview with any questions or concerns. Pediatric Associates of Plainview have the experience and knowledge your child needs to live a healthy life. Here we have provided some healthy habits you can try to help your child build for themselves.

Here are eight healthy habits you should start teaching your child:

1. Handwashing– handwashing can protect your child and the entire family from germs that can lead to illness and infections. Instilling good hygiene in children is critical.
2. Discard trash- accumulated trash, wrappers, tissues carry germs. Teach your child to throw them away. 
3. Cover your mouth and nose- teach your child how to sneeze/cough into a tissue or elbow to not spread germs. 
4. Dental Hygiene– until around the age of 8, children do not consistently properly get their teeth cleaned. It is important to stress brushing twice a day and flossing. 
5. Use sunscreen– frequent sunburns boost the chance of skin cancer later on in life, so children must wear sunscreen when under prolonged sun exposure. 
6. Move around– run around with your toddler, have your toddler stretch his/her legs. This emphasizes growing a healthy body.
7. Protect the head– it’s imperative for children to grow up understanding how important it is to protect their brains. Emphasize helmets when out riding recreationally. 
8. Seat belts- seat belts are responsible for saving over 13,000 lives yearly. Your child needs to understand early on the importance of wearing a seat belt. 

Pediatrician in Plainview

Teaching healthy habits to your child is just the first part of it. Getting your child to follow them is another. Forming new habits is a skill and requires practice. Be patient with your child and offer lots of positive reinforcement. If you have any pediatric needs, visit a pediatrician in Plainview.