Managing health doesn’t only mean taking care of your child when she is ill; it also means ensuring that your child enjoys good health all the time.
- Managing Sleep Routines: Adequate sleep tops the list of health care tips for all. For children, sleep requirements vary, depending on their age. While babies sleep for almost 16 hours a day, toddlers need 12-14 hours. Likewise, while young children between the ages of 3 and 12 need 10-12 hours, older children need 8-9 hours. Encourage your child to go to bed early and wake up early. Let him also have regular sleep schedules – going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time every day.
- Managing Food Habits: The eating patterns that get set during childhood go a long way in ensuring well-being during adulthood. Let your child realise that we get the energy to perform our daily activities from the food we eat. Discuss nutritive values of various vegetables and fruits with her. If your child dislikes a particular food item, say greens, list out its benefits to her. Reward wise food choices and provide healthy alternatives to junk food. For example, how about a ‘dozza’ in place of a pizza? You should also ensure that your child drinks adequate amounts of water to stay hydrated and to flush out toxins from the body.
- Managing Weight: Is your child underweight or obese? A balanced diet consisting of essential nutrients will address these issues. Avoid junk food, draw up a diet chart and ensure that your child has enough physical activity.
- Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices: The way we lead our life determines our health. Making smart food choices is just one way of doing it. Letting your child actively participate in sports and limiting his screen time (TV, DVD, PSP, iPad, computer) are significant steps in managing health. A sedentary lifestyle will not help at all.
- Developing Healthy Personal Habits: Teach your child the importance of forming healthy habits – brushing the teeth twice a day, rinsing the mouth after eating and washing hands (this is the best defence against infections) before eating, after playing outside and after using the washroom. Teach him how to cough and sneeze, and blow his nose using tissues in such a manner that he does not pass on infections to others.
- Avoiding Stress: We all know that stress affects health. Today, like adults, children too face a lot of stress thanks to high expectations and stiff competitions. Often children fall ill before exams because of undue stress. Make sure that your child relaxes by engaging in a hobby. You can also go on family outings and trips from time to time to de-stress.
- Managing Specific Health Conditions: If your child has been diagnosed with a specific health condition such as juvenile diabetes or asthma, then you should first educate yourself on the condition. Talk to your doctor, to parents of other children who have this condition and read literature relating to this condition.
- Setting Health Goals: This is another major step to enjoying good health. Plan to spend less time before the television and other gadgets, target a certain number of servings of vegetables and fruit per day/week and set aside a specified number of minutes each day for outdoor exercise. Paste your goals on the kitchen/refrigerator door to motivate you and your family.
- Managing Health Care Costs: With rising medical care costs, it is essential that you take medical insurance cover for yourself and your children. This will ensure that there is no strain on the family budget, especially when it comes to the treatment of major ailments.
