When many parents hear the good news that they are expecting newborn, thoughts automatically shift to finances and education. First, do the parents have enough financial income to support another mouth to feed and secondly, what will be the best daycare / schools to send the child. What soon to be parents fail to look at is the impact of the early dietary habits of an infant that will quickly grow to become a healthy or unhealthy young adult. Rather than put this on the back burner, it is imperative that parents begin with good nutritional basics that support life and health. To jumpstart your child's wellness simply follow these three basic observations.
Observation #1 Children Are Terrible at Doing What They Are Told But Excellent at Modeling What They See
We all know this at some level but the true question is do are we allowing this simple truth to guide our behavior. As parents if we have poor eating habits, even as our children are growing up, they are observing. If your child watches you eat little brown bars that are taken from colorful pieces of paper, guess what. That's right; they are learning from you that candy bars are a nutritious meal. While you child is still young, begin the process now of adjusting your personal eating habit so that their model of the world will be a healthy one. If you child is older and perhaps in the past you may not have been such a great role model, simply make a declaration today that you will start now. This will not only teach your child healthy habits but will also show them that if there is any habit or attitude in their lives that they do not like, they can overcome it by simply deciding to do so.
Observation # 2 Just as Bad Habits Are Hard to Break, so too Are Good Habits
Often times when we think of someone struggling to break a habit we immediately think of all the bad things we all attempt to overcome. Rarely do you think that there is a person out there with a good habit they are trying to get rid of. Despite this fact, the reality is that good habits, once solidified through repetition are just as difficult to break as bad habits. Here is what this means to you. By starting your child on a track that leads them down the road to a healthy and fit lifestyle, you are increasing the likelihood that they will remain on that road. If you struggle personally with this, always remember that nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.
As a parent or guardian of a child, you have control over how their future will turn out. Will it be a future full of life and vitality or one spent struggling with being overweight and the stresses that come with it. Imagine a world where your child never needed a diet or weight loss plan. Think about how terrific it would be if you were able to begin a legacy of healthy lifestyle that will keep them fit for life.
