Building Habits in our Children
This summer, my kids and I have taken a walk almost every day. Well, I walk and they ride their bike or scooter. I made this as a goal at the beginning of the summer as a way to get them (& me) off of screens and to spend some time together. During this time, they’ve become more brave and more curious. They’re wanting to ride their bikes independently more which can be little scary when you live on one of the busiest streets in town, but with proper supervision, I’ve allowed them to do a little more exploring. This made me think about all the things we try to teach our kids, and how we hope we’re doing it all right. (If that’s even possible.) In this article, I want to share a few habits I’m trying to teach my kids that I hope they’ll carry with them as they continue to grow and become adults.
Healthy Choices
When talking about food, I talk about “making choices” and having a healthy body. We have conversations about foods, what’s in them, and even how they’re related to macros, but also how they affect our body. The goal is to build awareness. If they want to have ice cream after dinner then earlier in the day we talk about making a choice. For example, “If you want ice cream later, what’s your decision about a sweet treat now.” The biggest mental battle I have is telling myself, “They’re kids.” I like to use this “excuse” when I know they’ve probably had too much sugar in one day. I was a kid once, and I know I didn’t do the best job of making healthy choices or have much of a clue about food and I seem to be okay. But, I had to spend time working towards a healthier body (& mind) and often obsess over having a healthy body. I have this idea that if I can instill in my kids what healthy & balanced choices are now and teach them about food and how it affects our body that hopefully they won’t struggle when they’re older.
Being Active
For me, this is the easiest part. I LOVE working out and being outside but for some reason, it’s not my kids’ first choice. Again, it’s summer, and I know it’s a time to rest and reset, but for some reason summertime seems to be harder to keep them active. It’s like they need the constant attention or someone to “play with” (that’s a whole other topic ☺ ), so keeping them active can be a challenge. Plus, all the extra time at home just lends itself towards tv and screen time. The habit of moving is just as important to me as being a healthy individual through what we eat because a strong body is beneficial in so many ways. If I can teach them to use some downtime to take a walk or ride their bike then hopefully I’m keeping them from eating out of boredom or scrolling out of boredom which leads to a more sedentary lifestyle. Also, teaching them how to use their bodies properly in activities like dance, cheer or even CrossFit for sustainability is important for longevity. Tying this back into food, we have conversation about how to fuel their bodies for long or intense activity and then how to use food as a recovery tool.
Confidence
Whew! This is a hard one and honestly, both of my girls probably do it better than me. A positive self-image and positive self-talk leads to a healthy mental state of mind. Yes, physical wellness is something I want my kids to have but mental wellness is just as important. I want them to understand what a heathy body for them as individuals looks and feels like while also carrying themselves with confidence. The conversations we have about food, physical activity and how they present themselves I feel leads to the confidence that they see in themselves. I love my children, and I’m passionate about healthy bodies and minds. If you’re a parent that is also trying to help their children and/or family build healthier habits & confidence and need someone to talk to or bounce ideas off of, feel free to message me at on my Instagram page @fitwhit903 or on my website www.fit-whit.com
