As well as the many life lessons that you will need to explore with your child, you will need to teach them about health and wellness so that they are able to take care of themselves. Like the saying “we are what we eat”, our mood, productivity and general health comes from the foods that we eat. While they might not be the tastiest of foods, it’s important that children stay on top of their 5-a-day, consume leafy greens, and have a balanced diet which includes protein for growth and development. An easy way to look at this is the eat well plate. It perfectly illustrates how much of each food group they should be having. Below is some more guidance that was put together by a London Private School on the theme of health and fitness and how it can be taught to children.
Explore the Different Vitamins We Need
You may want to go into even granular detail and explore the different vitamins and why they are so integral, like vitamin D for example which many of us are deficient in here in the UK. Overlooking the vitamin and not getting enough of it can have some serious health implications, like osteoporosis and rickets in children.
Fitness
Exercise is incredible for the body. It helps to strengthen muscles, builds stamina, resilience and has amazing benefits for your mental health. For growing children it’s a must. The NHS recommends that children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. To help reach this goal, consider walking where you can, like to school which is a journey that you make twice every weekday. If the weather permits, outdoor activities like football are also a good idea. It will help to get them outside and will make for a lovely bonding experience.
Cook Together
Going back to what they eat, you may enlist their help when cooking. They will develop culinary skills and an understanding of what goes into their food. They can use this knowledge when older to ensure that they are fuelling their body with the right foods.
These are just a few of the ways that you can grow your child’s understanding of health and fitness. If you enjoyed reading this post and found it helpful, there are plenty more parenting topics that I’ve covered here in this blog. Feel free to have a read while you’re here!
