child health tips

 

child health tips

 By Shreya Kumar Kaur – A healthy child is a gift that we all have to give. Having a healthy and happy child will help in giving you the best qualities, which are important for our happiness and wellbeing. We find it essential to take care of our own as well as our kids’ wellbeing so it becomes easier to make them happier as well. Here are some handy tips on how parents can better look after their children throughout this pandemic. 1. Keep track of your children’s steps To keep track of your child’s activities and progress, there is an app called ‘My Step Book.’ This allows you to check your child’s steps every day from his/her school’s website or app. The information helps in giving you useful tips on what can be done at home to improve your child’s daily routine. You can also set goals for what your child needs to achieve and know that he/she has the patience to get up every morning and make an effort. With this, you and your child can enjoy each other’s company as you have someone to guide you and keep you in the right direction. 2. Schedule your kid’s nap To keep her relaxed during these difficult days, always give her a quiet hour a day to rest with him. No matter how busy or busy your life is, taking care of your little one will help you both stay sane and remain peaceful too. For parents who work long hours, naps help with their sleep cycles and will make you feel calmer as your body releases endorphins in the process. Your baby is already blessed by nature having such deep sleep as when she sleeps she tends to wake up stronger. In addition, nap time also means no TV or mobile phones but just a few minutes of peace, peace and quiet. But how much do we really need? If a 2-year-old gives 1 hour, a 6-month-old might give 6-10 hours of ‘sleep-time.’ So why don’t we make it count? Napping helps us to reset our brains and minds, helping us clear clutter and negative thoughts, so don’t sacrifice your precious moments for them in silence. 3. Watch your child sleep Nowadays, most of our kids (even many teens) prefer sleeping on our laps instead of the usual bed and crib, since they have more than enough room in our homes and they want to sleep on our lap. When we use the latest technology and gadgets, it allows us to spend quality time with our loved ones who can only learn and grow through playing, singing, reading or walking around outside. Parents should teach their child to watch television, play video games or read eBooks while his/her favourite shows and books are on, and let him watch others like SpongeBob, Harry Potter or Minecraft with his siblings. He can even try out their favourite songs by using the same song-listener as them. This way, not only does he learn and gain knowledge from others but he will also experience bonding and bonding with others too, something very important for developing character as a human being. Moreover, as he learns about himself, by watching people and what makes them tick, he starts to imitate them and start seeing themselves in real-life situations, which leads to self-esteem growth among other things. 4. Do your shopping around when possible Whether your child wants to eat or drink, buy food and drink that your children love, especially during the evening when they aren’t hungry. It is quite easy to make your children’s favourite drinks and foods and then cook them yourselves. Once you’ve bought groceries, get them ready for cooking or to freeze overnight. However, if your child really loves ice cream, they can also order from online stores and enjoy it. Also, if they want dessert for dinner, ask them as many questions as possible, what ingredients they use for making the desserts and what else your kids would like to sample on their cakes. Not only will it keep you amused but it will benefit your family too, since they’ll learn a lot more information about food and drink. 5. Play with friends when possible This may seem obvious when you look at it but playtime with our kids is crucial for them and the learning they get from adults. Studies show that children who spend time together with other children learn faster than children which is what happens when they are spending time with other children. That is why we should make them as close as possible to friends. Some places where you can meet different groups of kids include parks, libraries or malls. During the summer, you can hold special workshops for the youth, talk to them and interact with them. You can invite them to your home and let them share stories about their lives, ask for permission from you or to listen to their favourite songs. Let them help each other. While it’s normal to become upset when they see that you are busy, it is equally as important when your child asks for a toy from you, so it seems odd when you say no but to your child, it appears as a natural action. If they ask, please help me find something in my house or buy me another toy. And remember to say that these small actions will add up over the weeks, sometimes to a week or so and also to months. 6. Be creative Creativity is key to improving ones’ happiness, self-esteem and confidence and making them happy as well. Make sure that your children practice being creative with them and try new ways of completing tasks. For instance, in the car, your child can sit behind the wheel, you can put their seat belt on or you can use a walkie-talkie. They can spin, create clouds or paint, run or jump. Remember that by creating these simple moments for your children, your own happiness and self-esteem can improve along with them also. Kids and adults alike love creativity so start showing them on your own creativity and make them realise that there is nothing wrong with whatever you do, as long as it is fun for you. If your child is struggling to complete a task, be creative and provide suggestions to help him get you going. Sometimes it is just a short time that an adult won’t remember a piece of homework you wrote, and you have to explain it to them again, because you taught them everything the first time. After repeated explanations, your child will get bored and stop talking to you. To help your child get back on track, repeat the tasks several times. 7. Change No child likes doing the same thing again and again, so it is essential to change things on a regular basis as and when your child does. Get a board or chalkboard and stick it in our kitchen or hallway, where every time he comes into your room, write down new things you like about him. As you go on, your child might start getting distracted, thinking something else he wants and he feels very uncomfortable with the idea of sitting on your lap as he did last week when he came over, and he will pick it up and go, leaving you feeling empty. Start changing the way you think and act. Try getting creative with your children and ask them to write in a journal about things they like and dislike about themselves. Ask them to pick one of their favourite colours and write the colour name down somewhere; you can also write it onto the wall. Ask him about how he does something every day and find out what makes him happy and then write those things down as well. 8. Read Reading gives our children the opportunity to absorb lessons and ideas for daily living, whether they are little or big. All the more so since it provides them with valuable time with their peers and keeps them glued to something, something meaningful for your child. Whether you decide to read to your children, give them books, or create your own book club, read whatever interests your children and your heart. You may even join up and read and discuss it with your family at home while they are asleep. Reading gives us such wonderful memories that will never leave us and will always be in our hearts. 9. Sleep well One of the key aspects of staying healthy and happy is good sleep. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night can affect our mental clarity, which causes us to be less able to perform important tasks in the workplace and at home. While your child is asleep, give him a bath and give him plenty of warm water too. Use some soothing relaxing music so your child gets rid of any worries or tension at that moment. Then give them a hug or kiss and tell them sleep will soon return and don’t worry, they’ll get better before it really does. Relaxation takes a great deal of energy away from working and can greatly benefit your mental and physical and emotional abilities, as well as your child’s. 10. Spend time when you can Give your child as much attention as you possibly can. Set aside time for her to get ready and have breakfast or lunch if she feels hungry. Listen to her when she calls for it. Often babies will cry as soon as they see you taking her out of her crib and putting anything into it for herself without even asking. Tell yourself that your child has been crying a lot and she’s exhausted because of it. Leave her alone in her crib as soon as you can. Don’t worry about cleaning up afterwards. Just tell her to brush up her hair and go to wash it off with some water and wipe the floor between the carpets too, as it is dirtier than dirty diapers. Take a deep breath and forget, even for a second, that a child needs to sleep well. Give her extra time and be present to her without pushing her to sleep