Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
Photo by Simon Rae on Unsplash
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to be thankful for our health. Three months of lockdown has been tough for many families. If social media is to be believed, millions of families spent their days exercising with Joe Wicks, going on long walks, and cooking healthy meals.
For many people though, lockdown wasn’t as picture-perfect. Many families struggled to homeschool their children, or look after babies and toddlers while also trying to do their jobs from home too. It’s not surprising that a few bad habits crept in. Too much time sitting in front of a screen, unhealthy snacks, ordering takeaways because getting an online delivery was just too difficult.
This time has also given many people the chance to reflect on their health and wellbeing and how important it is.
If you have a young family, this is a great opportunity to work together as a family and give your children healthy habits they’re going to keep for a lifetime.
Get active together
There are lots of activities you can do together as a family to get moving. The important thing is that you incorporate movement into your everyday life. This could be walking to and from school, taking a walk before dinner, or just allowing them free play in the garden rather than being sat in front of a screen for hours. At weekends you can be a bit more adventurous, doing cycle challenges or finding a game you can all play together.
Add this to your child’s PE lessons at school and you will be giving them a love of being active and the physical and mental benefits that it brings to children.
Preparing and cooking meals together
Depending on the age of your children, you can start some great healthy food habits. You may have your work cut out for you if you have fussy eaters, but keep at it, they’ll come around eventually.
Get the kids involved by letting them choose some family-friendly healthy recipes. They can then help you shop for the ingredients and cook it. It’s a great way to spend time together and it will give them much needed cooking skills which will benefit them as they grow up.
If you find your kids are especially picky, look at ways to make their favourites healthier. If they like chips, switch to oven chips or buy an air fryer. Sweet potato fries are great too. Pack spaghetti bolognese with extra vegetables and serve it with wholewheat spaghetti.
Instead of soda’s of fruit juice, try some no-added-sugar cordial diluted with sparkling water. Little changes can make a big difference to your family’s health.
Set a good example
Raising a family is hard work, and it’s exhausting. Finding the time to look after yourself is hard. It’s no wonder that bad habits creep in. At the end of the day, we just want to collapse in front of the TV and eat. But that sets a bad example and isn’t good for our own health either. Making your family’s health a priority can make a huge difference to your health, wellbeing, and family relationship for the rest of your lives. Why not start now?
