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How can I help my child take responsibility for their health?

How can I help my child take responsibility for their health?

While as their parent you make decisions every day to keep them in good health, there are many easy ways to inspire them to take responsibility for their own wellbeing.

We show you how with our tips for inspiring healthy children.

Let them help with meal planning and cooking

Children’s health starts with their diet, so let them help you with meal planning and cooking.

Use it as an opportunity to teach them about following a healthy diet and understanding the value of the different food groups.

Set them a weekly challenge of choosing a nutritious family meal, writing a shopping list for the ingredients and helping you to prepare it. They’ll get a sense of achievement, which should inspire them in having a long and healthy relationship with food.

Encourage a great hand-washing routine

Get your child into a great hand-washing routine from an early age. You can turn it into a fun activity by letting them choose soap or hand wash when you go shopping, giving them a sense that they are in control.

Teach them to wash their hands:

  • Before eating
  • After using the toilet
  • After blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing
  • After touching animals
  • After playing in the garden
  • When they are visibly dirty

You should also show them how to wash their hands properly. Here’s how:

1. Wet hands with water and apply soap.

2. Lather hands by rubbing them together and then moving onto the backs of hands, between the fingers and under the nails.

3. Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds — the amount of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.

4. Rinse hands with clean, running water.

5. Dry hands with a clean towel.

Your child will soon get into the routine of hand-washing without prompting — a fantastic habit that will last a lifetime!

To help them keep their hands clean between hand-washing, encourage them to use hand sanitiser.

Give them an exercise challenge

Healthy child development requires regular exercise to make kids’ bones stronger, help them sleep better, keep them at an appropriate weight and boost their overall wellbeing.

It becomes easier for you, as a parent, if you can encourage your child to enjoy physical activity.

One way to do this is to set them exercise challenges, such as:

  • Giving them a reward chart to fill in with every session of exercise
  • Seeing how long they can balance a ball on their head
  • Timing how long they can keep a balloon off the ground
  • Making their own hopscotch game
  • Improving their balance skills using a beam
  • Having an egg and spoon race
  • Seeing how far they can climb a tree
  • Creating their own obstacle course

The more fun that children associate with exercise, the more likely they will enjoy it and engage in physical activity.

Teach them to keep safe in the sun

Teaching your child to keep safe in the sun is an essential life lesson.

Photo credit: FeverMates website

From an early age, teach them to:

  • Slip on clothing that covers them up.
  • Slop on SPF30 or higher sun cream that’s also water-resistant.
  • Slap on a hat to protect their face and neck.
  • Seek shade when playing outside.
  • Slide on sunglasses to protect their eyes.

Being sun-smart will soon become second nature to kids once they’ve learnt these rules.

Help your child to manage a long-term condition

If your child is living with a long-term condition, such as asthma, diabetes or allergies, and if they are old enough, encourage them to be responsible for taking any medication.

You can make this easier for them by providing them with a schedule where they can tick off doses taken. You can also give them a pill holder, where they can store medication in compartments labelled with the days of the week.

Another idea is to gift them a customised medical ID wristband stating the name of their condition and the medication they are on. This will help them feel more confident and independent when you are not around.

Help your child get into good habits with sanitiser and more

Setting your child up for a healthy life is all about getting them into good habits.

You can encourage a great hygiene routine by using FeverMates products, all designed to promote health and wellbeing.

Browse our complete collection to find hand sanitiser spray, sun cream, face masks and many other health and wellbeing products.

We believe that a healthy lifestyle starts in childhood — that’s why our products are chosen by parents and designed for all the family. It’s our way of helping you set up those precious habits to last a long and healthy lifetime!

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