Chances are that, if you are raising kids, your unhealthy or healthy lifestyle will set the standard for their future lifestyle choices.

According to Mommy Bites, recent generations of parents are oblivious to the consequences of unhealthy practices, namely fast, convenient or over-processed foods. The result is, unfortunately, a larger population of adults who suffer from lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and the like.

So investing in a healthy lifestyle and taking your children along is the best life lesson you can give them.  

You are the centre of their world.

Children are constantly searching your face, listening to your words and monitoring your actions for signs of navigating the society or community they find themselves in. You are their fearless leader who they are going to copy. 

Show them self-care and good lifestyle practices by leading by example.

This can include:

• Taking them shopping, not for toys, gadgets or fast food or sweets but real food.
• Teaching them about looking for fruit and vegetables that come in all the colours of the rainbow. It is a chance to teach them about nutrition.
• Invite them to cook the meal with you. It lifts them to be helpful. Instead of making fancy French desserts, sit with them and construct fruit pieces on kebab sticks.
• And tell them that you’d like to eat meals with them at scheduled times and why it is important for you to do so
• Take the lead, put the phone away, and have everyone do the same.
• Start friendly, no-pressure conversations with them. For instance, tell them about your day instead of grilling them for information about their day. They will open up to friendliness and calmness and share because they need to be sociable.
• They will follow if their mom and dad enjoy the salads, whole grains, and lean protein. It is never too late to shift directions for bad lifestyle habits.
• With every change you make, like donating all the tinned food, sweets, sugary biscuits and drinks in your cupboards to charity. Explain why it is best to avoid sugar-laden processed foods and how harmful convenient foods can be. Use your own health struggles as an example. The truth can only teach them empathy.
• And for breakfast and school lunches, tell them that you think that fruit as snacks will work better than chips or biscuits with their sandwiches.
• Help them to make their own snacks such as peanut butter, date and coconut balls or healthy smoothies to take to school. 
• And every time they help out, reward them with your gratitude, not a sweet or ice cream. 

Take action.

Besides lessons about nutrition, exercise such as hikes or walks along the beach or growing your own food in containers in your garden can be lessons about nature. Nothing engages young minds as much as questioning and discovering answers through experience.  

Never underestimate the value of those conscious efforts that you make to expand your children’s world. Playing at the rock pools at the beach, gathering shells or hopping over waves can be a lasting memory.

Let them see you unplug from electronic devices, pick up a book and read. And invite them to do the same. And if they ask you to paint with them, accept with enthusiasm. 

Family board games evenings, dancing around with Hoola hoops, or skipping together without the pressure to pose for social media are valuable lessons in taking action and moving forward. These are all lessons in being present in each other’s lives. 

Life shouldn’t be a battle.

According to KidsHealth, choosing the path to healthy living is hard, but food shouldn’t be a source of conflict. Nor should food be used as an expression of love, bribery or a bargaining chip to get their cooperation. 

The food should also not be used as a reward, such as going out for ice cream if they did well at school. Let them choose an activity instead.

They suggest that you establish a climate of cooperation in your home, the centre of which is a kitchen stocked only with healthy, wholesome and unprocessed food. In that way, you lead your family in growing healthy habits. 

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