The best way to guard the health of your children is to be proactive about protecting it. This means taking preventative measures to stop possible illnesses and diseases in their tracks. Here are three ways that parents can be proactive in dealing with the overall health of their children.
Regular Doctor Appointments
One of the best preventative measures that you can take is to schedule regular doctor appointments for your children. During the infant stage, most practitioners will recommend checkups every few months. After age two, you can usually schedule your child's annual checkup approximately once a year. Being intentional about scheduling these appointments will aid in catching potential issues before they become more serious. Don't ever hesitate to advocate for your child and their health. In some cases, you might need to seek second opinions to avoid misdiagnosis.
Make Healthier Meal Choices
In theory, it should be easy to make healthy meal choices. However, the reality is that there are many barriers to eating healthier. The time needed to prepare fresh food and the cost involved are two of the biggest barriers that parents face when trying to feed their kids more nutritious meals. Making a weekly plan and doing meal prep will help you to be more organized and better plan your food for the week. Involving your kids in the meal planning process will also help them to learn more about healthy eating. You can also commit yourself to keep unhealthy food out of your home so that your kids are not tempted to overindulge.
Move With Your Kids
One of the best predictors of a healthy child is how often they get out and exercise. Children who exercise regularly enjoy lower rates of obesity by a significant margin. Frequent exercise and play also decrease depression and anxiety in children. As a parent, you can encourage this active lifestyle by moving with your kids. Make exercise a part of your daily lives and your kids will also be more likely to continue these habits as they grow older. By modeling this active lifestyle, you will encourage a lifetime of good health for your children.
Being intentional and purposeful about protecting the health of your children will pay off big dividends in the long run. Practicing preventative care is a far better approach than simply responding to health issues as they arise.
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