Many ways exist to raise happy, healthy, and well-adjusted children. We will give you some tips, that are sometimes overlooked by parents. The tips are incredibly simple and obvious, but if they are avoided, they can have a negative influence on a child's emotional and/or physical health.
1. Add to the children's menu fresh fruits and vegetables, the consumption of which every day is good for the heart, helps protect the child's body from cancer in the future and prevents obesity. Unfortunately, children will not be very convinced by references to scientific literature. Therefore, they need to be taught to love fruits and vegetables from an early age. Realize that when children refuse food, it is often due to unfamiliarity with these foods, not a genuine dislike. So offer the same food many times, perhaps in different forms or processed differently. Although babies are eager to try new foods, older children may need 15 tries before they like or get used to a new product.
2. Get used to washing your hands. People's hands are the number one source of infection. Germs from our hands can transfer to our skin when we touch our eyes, mouth, or nose. And small children very often touch their faces. The frequency of touches can reach up to 50 times per hour. To reduce the number of germs on your hands, wash or wipe down doorknobs, toys, and other surfaces. But remember that everything is good in moderation. Overly disinfected surfaces do not strengthen the child's immunity. So, teach your child the usual rules of hygiene: wash your hands after going outside, after using public transport, after playing with animals, and before eating.
3. Vaccinate on time. In Ukraine, the opinion of parents regarding vaccination is rather ambiguous. Some consider it unnecessary due to the probable complications after vaccination, others - miss deadlines, and others, on the contrary, do not miss any. Therefore, we will tell you why timely vaccination is important. Babies and young children need to be vaccinated at the exact time when the vaccine is most effective. This period begins when their immune system is developed enough to respond, but before they are at the highest risk of the most dangerous diseases. Deviation from the schedule does not guarantee effectiveness, but delays can contribute to an increase in side effects. As studies show, for example, measles vaccines are twice as likely to cause febrile seizures if administered too late.
4. Pay attention to the child's teeth. Many parents don't pay enough attention to the health of their teeth because "The primary teeth will fall out anyway." Even mild tooth decay can affect a child's health, causing pain, poor appetite, interrupted sleep, or even dental infection. If you don't care about milk teeth, the root ones can grow sick. And then, the treatment will be more expensive and the process more unpleasant. Fortunately, a simple brushing (twice a day) protects your teeth, so follow this simple tip.
5. Follow the sleep schedule from an early age. According to studies in pediatrics, poor or short-term sleep can cause hyperactivity. This can affect not only school performance and behavioral problems but also the hormone leptin, which signals satiety. Therefore, children who do not get enough sleep may be more likely to be overweight or obese.
The good news is that the behavioral effects of poor sleep are reversible and go away once a child settles into a regular sleep pattern, no matter how old they are. The time for sleep for children from one to 3 years old — is 11-14 hours, preschoolers — 10 -13 hours, and school-age children — 9-11 hours. If you put your baby to bed at the same time every night, read a book, and kiss at night before 9 p.m., the child will find his natural rhythm and fall asleep without problems.
6. Protect the baby's delicate skin. Solar radiation has a destructive effect on the skin at any age, and sunburns are especially risky in childhood. The earlier in a child's life, the skin cells damaged, the greater the chance of developing skin cancer throughout life. Children are especially sensitive to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation because their skin has a thinner outer protective layer than the skin of an adult. In addition to special sun-protection products, protect your children with thin white cotton clothes, and a wide-brimmed hat, and keep them in the shade when the sun is very active.
7. Use seat belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that three out of four children are not appropriately restrained in vehicles. For the child's safety follow the instructions in the car seat or special child seat and use the seat belts.
8. Wear a helmet when riding anything with wheels.
At one children's hospital, doctors placed a cracked helmet on the entrance shelf with a note from a 13-year-old cyclist that read: "This helmet saved my life when my head hit the hood of a car." This is a reminder that wearing a helmet can prevent serious injuries. However, 40% of children do not wear helmets when cycling, skateboarding, or rollerblading, and more than a third wear them incorrectly (according to surveys by Safe Kids Worldwide).
Yes, children often complain that the helmet is uncomfortable, but if it is worn correctly, there should be no problems with comfort. Here's how to know if it's on rightly: the helmet should be two fingers' width above the eyebrows and not slip. Tighten the chin strap until it is snug; no more than one finger should fit under the strap. When the child opens his mouth wide, the helmet should press on his head. Adjust it so, that the left and right straps form a sign Y below the child's ears.
9. Instill a love for physical activity, sports.
We all know the saying "Motion is a Life". And if the love for sports and physical activity is not instilled from birth, then it will be harder to do it later. And It is better to start with regular massages and gymnastics, or swimming from birth. Such physical activities not only stimulate blood circulation but train muscles, and thanks to gymnastics even colic in babies decrease. With older children, you can dance together or play active games: ball, boomerang, fly a kite, etc. You can rollerblade, bike, or play badminton with teenagers. Find something that you and your child like, spend time together, and take care of your physical health :).
10. Pay attention to the posture of the child when sitting at the gadgets.
Today children spend more and more time on gadgets. But what is important is the position in which they spend this time. Here is an illustrative example: the head of an adult weighs about 5 kilograms, and the neck can withstand such a burden without tension. But the greater the slope, the harder load on the neck becomes. So, an angle of 60 degrees increases the tension on the neck to 27 kilograms. And what happens to the spine and neck when the tension is too great? That's right, the spine is curved, osteochondrosis develops and pains appear. So, teach your child to sit correctly (and not only with gadgets), but also while eating and doing homework.
And, finally, we know that you know all the abovementioned rules. And we are sure that you perform the majority of them. So this article is just a kind reminder. Take care of yourself and your children and be healthy!
