Medically reviewed by Esther Kim Liu, MD, FAAP.
Set good examples when your kids are young, and healthy habits will be the norm. Following in your footsteps, children are more likely to continue making good choices and live healthy lifestyles.
1. Healthy Eating Smart and Simple
Children and adults alike require the right food to flourish. Set the table for a healthy lifestyle by eating meals at home featuring:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Lean protein from meat, poultry, fish or beans
- Low- or no-fat milk and other dairy products
- Whole-grain foods
- Water
Encourage your children to eat fruit and vegetables at each meal and as snacks. Pop your own popcorn on the stove or prepare carrot sticks or apple slices as delicious, healthy grab-and-go snacks. Leave the processed snacks with added sugar and empty calories at the store.
When meal planning, avoid prepackaged foods, and let your children pick a new food to try each week. Scale portion sizes for young and old, but keep the menu the same for all family members. Encourage everyone to stop eating when they’re full and don’t force anyone to clean their plates. Establishing healthy eating habits early can set them up for a lifetime of good health.
2. Get Moving for a Healthy Lifestyle
Many kids just want to go outside and play, and it’s important that you let them and join them when you can. Children and adults need physical activity every day.
If you don’t have a front or back yard, it’s time to head to a park. Bring toys that your kids can only use at the park to build excitement about going outside. By making exercise enjoyable, you are more likely to engage in it.
A few fun ways your children can have fun while staying active include:
- Dancing
- Jumping rope
- Playing baseball, basketball, soccer or another favorite sport
- Playing tag or hide-and-go-seek
- Riding bikes
- Running races
- Swimming
3. Getting Regular Check-ups
Just as children regularly see a pediatrician, it is important for parents to see a primary care provider (PCP) at least once a year for a routine physical and to get any recommended shots, such as the flu vaccine. This preventive care goes a long way by keeping you healthy. Additionally, having an established PCP, which may be a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician associate, is very important. Your PCP gets to know you and can often detect health problems before they occur or identify them sooner, helping you stay well for as long as possible. They can also treat chronic conditions or refer you to a specialist if needed.
4. Putting Screens in Their Place
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that there are no universal guidelines about how much screen time a child should have. Rather than worrying about how much time a child spends playing video games or watching content, focus on ensuring the content is educational and age-appropriate.
As your child gets old enough to start using tablets and televisions independently, never rely on devices to babysit your kids. Make rules about keeping tablets out of your kid’s bedroom and don’t put a television in there either. This goes for parents, too. Leave the laptop and the television in the den.
Even by following these tips, your kids may be getting a bit too much screen time if you’re not careful. Signs that your child is getting too much screen time include:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of interest in screen-free activities, including being with family and friends
- Negative self-image, bad attitude and fear of missing out (FOMO)
- Lack of physical activity
- Poor academic performance
- Weight gain
For you and the kiddos, limit screen time, especially in the evening and night hours, as the brightness from screens can disrupt your natural sleep schedule.
5. Set a Healthy Sleep Schedule
Lack of sleep does more than make children irritable. It limits children’s attention span, increases the likelihood of poor decisions, and drains their energy. Not getting enough sleep can even increase your children’s risk for health problems later in life, such as high blood pressure, obesity and mental health disorders.
Ensure your children get good sleep with these helpful guidelines:
- Create a sleep-friendly environment. Turn the lights low in your children’s bedroom and remove toys from their beds. Keep the room cool and comfortable to help kids fall and stay asleep.
- Develop a bedtime routine. Before bedtime, have your children brush their teeth and put on pajamas. Then spend time reading a book together to wind down and prepare kids to sleep.
- Let your teens sleep in. Teenagers undergo significant mental and physical changes that benefit from getting 8–10 hours of sleep each night. If your teen’s overloaded schedule prevents good sleep, consider cutting out excessive obligations.
- Stick to a schedule. Have your children wake up, eat, nap and play at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This established routine will help your children’s internal clocks stay on track.
- Turn off the screens. An hour before bedtime, turn off all screens, and always keep bedrooms screen-free.
6. Talk to Your Kids About Substances
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most adult smokers started smoking when they were younger. Smoking traditional or electronic cigarettes, vaping, chewing tobacco and alcohol use can lead to heart disease, cancer and more.
By keeping an eye on what content your kids consume on streaming services and television, you can try to control the messages they see about smoking and drinking. Young children will struggle to distinguish between cartoons made for children and those made for adults. Watching with children and talking about it can help.
Beyond monitoring, you should always be prepared to discuss healthy choices with them. By talking to your children regularly, you help guide them toward a healthy lifestyle and avoid harmful habits that lead to negative consequences.
Start as early as possible and explain to your children how a healthy lifestyle can energize and strengthen their bodies and minds. Use real-life examples to show the benefits of good choices and the dangers of poor decisions.
More to Read
- Meals for Picky Eaters: Help Your Kids Enjoy Nutritious Food
- Parenting and Mental Health: Building Your Toolkit
- Healthy Sleep Habits Mean a Happy Child
- Managing the Move from Pediatrics to Adult Care
The University of Maryland Medical System is the Official Medical Team of the Terps.