If you ask any new parent what the most important part of their life is, they will undoubtedly say without any hesitation that it is their children. Our kids are the focus of our worlds as we seek to give them the best possible start in life and do all that we can to ensure that they become healthy and happy adults.
It can be a struggle at times balancing our work life with family commitments, but we make it happen so that we can offer our children a brighter future. In this article some of the key ways to give your children the best possible start in their early years will be discussed in detail.
Ensure they get regular exercise
A key part of growing up into a healthy and strong adult is to get regular exercise from an early age. For toddlers this can be as simple as supervising them as they move around the living room and find their balance to allow them to take their first proper steps. As the years progress it is a brilliant idea to incorporate sports and exercise into activities that all the family enjoy.
Whether it is teaching your children how to play football or weekends spent going on bike rides or walks in the country, exercise should be a positive foundation of family life. As a general rule, most experts suggest that sixty minutes of active time for children aged five to eleven is a suitable amount per day. Ideally some of this exercise should raise the heart rate and help to promote strong, healthy bones and muscles. Skipping ropes and playing hide and seek were activities that most parents will remember from their early years and these timeless activities remain popular.
Regular dental check-ups
Dental check-ups should form a vital part of family life, simply because oral health is so important throughout our lives. Good oral health can help to prevent tooth decay and minimize the risk of needing tooth extractions and other dental work. In addition, your dentist can spot for signs of illness or disease in other parts of your body that may show up on a thorough examination of your mouth.
By registering with a highly professional dental practice such as an Asheville dentist you will be taking a key step to safeguard you and your family’s health. The American Dental Association recommend that children start visiting the dentists between the ages of one and two. By making dental visits a part of normal family life you are also demonstrating that a trip to the dentist is nothing to be afraid of which will help your children keep this routine in their adult years.
Limit screen time
Whilst most medical experts agree that a small amount of screen time or playing video games is fine for children, excessive amounts of time spent glued to phones or computer screens at the expense of other activities is not beneficial to their health and wellbeing.
For children between two and five years old, it is suggested to keep screen time to an hour a day. As with most things in life, moderation is key. Playing video games can be great to improve a child’s hand to eye co-ordination and general dexterity but excessive amounts of gaming and screen time may hamper the development of social skills and can make children less active.