Karissa Tunis

From the moment we give birth to our children we form an unbreakable bond. It’s an emotional attachment that can never be severed. And we make a vow that for the remainder of our life’s existence, we will protect them and give them the best in life that we possibly can. When we have our children, they become the most important thing in our lives. We bring this new form of life into the world that depends on us to provide for them, supervise and protect them from any malicious forces in the outside world! It becomes our sole responsibility. Our mission in life to bring this child up and prepare them for the future that lies ahead. Molding them into strong, confident and independent individuals who can take on the obstacles that life may throw in their path. And our ultimate goal becomes helping your child stay healthy.

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection

Helping Your Child Stay Healthy

We try our utmost to teach them the lessons of life. And we do our best to instill discipline, manners, and empathy within them; transforming them into decent human beings. Children trust us and turn to us for guidance and influence. Therefore it is crucial that we teach them how to be the best person humanly possible and look after their best interests. Health is the most important factor in life. Because, let’s face it, without our health we have absolutely nothing.

It is our responsibility to ensure our children get all the essential things they need at the start of their lives and throughout, to enable them to stay and grow into healthy and happy people. It is so crucial that early in life we adopt a healthy lifestyle. That our child’s body is treated with respect. And that when the time comes for them to fly the nest and make a family of their own, the same important principles are passed down to the next generation.

Life Can Cause Obstacles!

Now nobody said raising a family is easy! There can become times in life when obstacles obstruct our path and we can fall into scenarios when health takes a back seat. Unforeseen events such as a hectic work schedule that may involve a trip to the local fast-food restaurant. A determined child that will not eat their greens, and refuses to digest anything but junk food. Or kids that simply will not abandon their game consoles to get active outside and take in the fresh air. Yes, it can happen to the best of us! Sometimes in life we can find it extremely difficult to stick to maintaining that healthy lifestyle and we may worry that our children’s health is beginning on a downward spiral. Here are some essential tips on how you can help your child stay healthy, providing you with peace of mind that you are doing your best!

Get Active

Exercise is so important! Physical activity is crucial in ensuring children stay healthy. Introducing regular exercise on a daily basis will aid in keeping your child’s weight at a healthy level, and will prevent any nasty future health implications such as obesity, high blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Encouraging your kids to play outdoors also elevates Vitamin D levels. This results in strengthening your child’s bone mass. Designating at least up to 60 minutes a day of outdoor activity time will contribute enormously to your child’s health. Maybe try family-orientated activities such as bike rides, a brisk walk to the park, or a game of football over at the local pitch.

Kids also enjoy coming together and engaging in fun physical activities at the playground. Allowing your kids to explore all the equipment in the community playground, like a gaga ball pit, offers a handful of benefits physically, emotionally, and mentally. Social skills and imagination are also improved. These are all necessary to gain self-confidence, improve coordination, and advance critical thinking capabilities as they grow. Children should have at least an hour of physical activity daily, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended. There’s no perfect place to get this done than the local playground. Young ones who get into exercising and see it as an enjoyable experience will most likely remain active as they age.

[Read: A Guide to Choosing After School Activities]

Encourage Nutrition

Getting your children to eat more fruits and veggies can at times be a losing battle. But by introducing your children to a healthier diet, and encouraging them to eat nutritious food, is extremely beneficial to their health. A nutritious diet provides important vitamins, fibre and minerals that a child needs to ensure healthy growth and development. A healthy diet provides so many health benefits including boosting the immune system.

It also contributes to the normal functioning of the digestive system, and prevents contracting any serious health implications in the future. Crohn’s disease, for example, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown, but it is thought to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Treatment usually involves a crohn’s disease infusion and a combination of lifestyle changes. However, with the right diet and nutrition, this disease can be treated and maybe even prevented.

Add Supplements to Their Diet

As children grow it is so important that they get enough vitamins and minerals to support their health. Most children get inadequate amounts of nutrition from their balanced diet. So choosing to introduce supplements is a great way in ensuring they are getting the vital ingredients needed to maintain their well-being. The supplement specialists behind https://omvits.com/ have masses of supplements that can aid you in supporting your child’s health. As children develop it is imperative that they get adequate amounts of calcium and Vitamin D to promote strong bones. And supplements such as iron, zinc and particular vitamins are crucial for brain development.

Designate an Appropriate Bedtime

Sleep is incredibly critical in maintaining your child’s well-being. Making sure your children get the recommended rest, depending on their age and adhere to a designated bedtime will set them up for the following day. Getting enough sleep boosts their immune system enabling them to fight off any terrible illnesses or infections. Sleep is the ultimate tool our minds and bodies need to recover from the tiring events from the day before. And getting enough rest also contributes to emotional stability resulting in a much calmer, healthier mindset. After all, we all know what it feels like to be exhausted. It can have such a negative impact on our mood!

Keep Them Hydrated

It is important to make sure your children are drinking enough water throughout the day. As a child’s brain is formed of 80% water. So staying hydrated is specifically crucial for your child’s cognitive development. Be sure that your children drink the recommended amount of water that corresponds to their age.

Yes, all that parents desire to do in their lifetime is to provide their children with the best they can in life that is humanly possible. It is every parent’s mission to bring their child into the world and raise them to be happy, respectful, and most importantly – healthy. Just be sure to take the points mentioned above to ensure you are doing your absolute best in looking after your child’s health.

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection

Teach Your Kids To Cook With These Recipes

Cooking meals together is a great way to bond with your kids while allowing them to grow in their passion for cooking right from an early age. Research shows that children aged between 6 and 12 or teenagers between 13 and 18 are more confident in the quality of their diet because they started cooking at an early age. While preparing family meals with your kids, it’s essential to be safety conscious to avoid injuries. You can start with meals that don’t take too much time and effort to make. Below are some handy, easy recipes to help you get started. 

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection

Peanut butter banana oatmeal

Oats are rich in vitamins and minerals, while peanut butter is rich in potassium. Combining both to make a peanut butter banana oatmeal will be a wholesome treat your kids are sure to love. All you need is rolled oats, bananas, cinnamon, sea salt, water, and peanut butter. After combining all these ingredients, you can add water and let your kids take turns stirring. Remember to let them wear protective clothing and keep your heat as low as possible to prevent any burns or spills. 

After about eight minutes, when the oatmeal is almost ready, you can allow your kids to add the peanut butter and stir once again until it’s evenly mixed. You can also drizzle honey on top for an extra touch, and then you and your kids can dig in.

White cheddar mac and cheese

Another great and easy recipe for kids is the white cheddar Mac with cheese, a childhood favorite. All your kids will need to get started is a pack of small pasta shells, butter, all-purpose flour, onion powder, pepper, salt, milk, and shredded white cheddar cheese. You can then take out a pan for your kids to boil the pasta and let it cool, after which they can add the other ingredients. The shredded white cheddar cheese is always the icing on the cake, and you can let your kids have fun with it by sprinkling it on top of the pasta.

Rainbow fruit salad

You can help your kids learn how to prepare the colorful, delicious rainbow fruit salad for brunch using your kids’ favorite fruits. You can explore various options like blueberries, pineapple, kiwi raspberries, and strawberries. A combination of these fruits plus others makes your fruit salad loaded with nutritious fruits that your kids will enjoy. 

You can let your kids start by rinsing the fruits in cold water and patting them dry with paper towels. You can then guide them to chop the fruits into equal sizes and put them in different bowls. It’s best to use equal portions of each fruit to avoid having a lot of one kind of fruit and a few of the others. Afterwards, you can arrange the chopped fruits together in a big bowl and later enjoy it chilled. You can enjoy your rainbow fruit salad over ice cream with your kids.

Sweet potato casserole

This simple recipe is delicious and easy to make, making it an ideal choice for your kids. For starters, you’ll need some large sweet potatoes, white and brown sugar, ground cinnamon, butter, and miniature marshmallows. As your kids wash and peel the potatoes, you can cut them into chunks and bring them to a boil. While you do this, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease your deep casserole dish. Be careful with these types of steps. You can then let your kids test their physical skills by mashing the boiled potatoes until there are no noticeable lumps. Once done, add your butter, cinnamon, and sugar, stir it thoroughly, and pour it into the casserole dish you prepared earlier. Add a layer of little marshmallows on top and bake for about 20 minutes until it turns brown. Your kids can enjoy this easy sweet potato casserole as a dessert right after meals.

With the above points, you could have your kids learn easy recipes. Who knows, they could become the next greatest chef! Don’t forget to take lots of photos and videos so you can treasure the memories of cooking together.

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection