Be a Healthy Example
Being a healthy example to your children is one of the best ways to ensure that they too will be healthy. I love cooking with my children together in the kitchen. Sharing a healthy love of food with them is helping to guide their own food choices. Lately, I’ve been taking care in how I prepare our foods. I teach my girls to wash our produce and we bake or grill rather than fry. I’ve been switching out some of our less healthy ingredients for more health conscious ones… Olive oil for regular cooking oil, substitute sugars, fresh rather than canned.
When it comes to exercise… I try to be a good example by going to the gym regularly. We ride bikes and go on hikes as a family. Hiking not only gives us much needed exercise… it also allows us to spend time together and see the beauty of our desert. The kids know that exercise gives them the energy they need to get through the day.
As parents… we can’t neglect being healthy emotional examples to our children. Nothing makes me happier than to hear my children mimic me. Seeing them express themselves in an outgoing, confident way, shows me that I’m doing a good job raising them. We communicate openly. No topic is off limits. I let them know that it’s ok to cry when something is painful and discourage whining.
Raising healthy children, both physically and mentally, isn’t an easy task. I’ve just shared with you some of the things we do in our family. I’m not an expert… just a mom like you.
Children’s health is at the top of every mother’s mind. What’s your favorite tip for raising a healthy child? By replying, you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and a $50 donation in your name to Global Giving.
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Million Moms Challenge. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs November 14 to December 18, 2011. A random winner will be announced by December 20, 2011.