It is complicated enough to change your life and seize control of your health. There is so much that to focus on. Thing is, some of us are responsible for mini people. Children are so amazing and so very impressionable. They hear and see everything that we say and do. There is a huge added responsibility to be an example and teach them. We want our children to become the best that they can be. Is it not such a basic way to start with health and fitness? How do we navigate not only trying to accomplish health for ourselves but providing that to our kids from the start?
The Responsibility
Here is the very root of it, in my opinion. Our child’s success starts with us. We are the very first thing in their lives that sets the tone for how they perceive their own health. There is such a large percent of successful people that give credit to their parents. I have seen back stories that go on about how much mental and emotional support they received from their parents. That their parents bent over backwards for them.
First and foremost, is our mental health. The way we talk about ourselves and about our kids is important. If all your kid ever hears is all the flaws in your body that you see, they may start looking for the same kind of flaws in themselves. Kids learn best by example and the best thing we can do is teach through our actions. If we can show our kids that even though we are working towards being a healthy person, we still have confidence and happiness. We can take the same attitude towards our kids. We can positively encourage them to work towards anything they want to become or accomplish. We can also let them know how amazing they are just the way they are as well.
Everyone is Different
There is no perfect way to teach our children health. Actually, there is no perfect way to teach children anything. The reason why is that every individual is completely different. One kid may love running with you on the track and feel real motivation. However, other kids may not have that capability or drive. We want to try to teach them to find a drive, but we can’t be fanatics and cause negative feelings towards a healthy lifestyle. I always seek to find the best way to teach for each child.
For example, my oldest child has autism. When he started kindergarten, we realized it was going to be a huge struggle. We were worried about the system trying to place him in special education. Now I’m not dogging on special education teachers or classes. The school system has so many kids it’s responsible for and can’t give every kid the one-on-one attention. However, we could tell that he was struggling in the public environment and worried that his potential could be stunted. So, we pulled him from public school and started with homeschool. It was interesting to try to teach him a concept and have to alter how it was teaching it a couple of times before I found the right way. Once I found the right way, it just clicked for him. He has made leaps and bounds. He has gone from below grade level to at or above in most subjects.
Coming back to health and fitness. Each child is different and may need a different approach to both mental and physical health. We, as their parents, can find the right way to teach our kids. A great way to get your kid excited about being active is to incorporate in some adventures. My kids love exploring the outdoors.
Habits
I think one of the very basic ways to start is with good habits. Food is a huge one for this. I can’t exactly claim to be the poster parent for healthy eating and kids. I have one child with hypersensitivity from the autism. He is unable to handle a lot of different textures and flavors. My other child is an allergy child. There isn’t a lot of choices that we have with food that they willingly eat. However, I still do my best to integrate as many healthy foods as possible.
My husband is great at doing exercises with the kids every morning. They will do planks, sit-ups, push-ups, and more. The boys actually enjoy doing it. We have had to start slowly and help them to do the exercises correctly and allow that to only be doing a couple and building up. There are so many different habits that our kids can learn from us and integrate into their young lives.
Don’t Forget Yourself
Sometimes, in being a parent, we do forget about ourselves. I believe that it is just as important for our kids to see us making ourselves a priority. If they can see that we do what we need to be our best selves, they will follow our example. However, making ourselves a priority is not just about our kids. It’s about us. We are the only ones that can make ourselves healthy and happy. There are just times that we need to be able to put ourselves first.
Mel's Health and Fitness 