2. Good Sleep Habits Allow Your Child’s Body to Fight Illness

Your child’s cells repair when they are asleep. Therefore, 10-13 hours of sleep is recommended by doctors for preschoolers and 9-11 hours for school age children. Along with duration, the quality of sleep also has a significant impact. Deep sleep phases initiate the release of growth hormones and repair of neurons at cellular levels. Try and create a healthy routine around sleep for lifelong benefits.

3. Healthy Balanced Diet Boosts Your Child’s Immune System

A healthy balanced diet is a fundamental source of immunity-boosting that has an undeniable impact on human health. Therefore, incorporating vegetables, fruits, wholegrain, and dairy products in adequate proportions daily in a child’s diet is crucial.

4. Physical Activity Reduces Risk Factors

Active kids are healthier kids. A sedentary lifestyle is a predisposing risk factor for multiple diseases not only in adults but also kids. Maintaining an active lifestyle helps keep your immune system healthy and able to fight off bacteria and viruses. 

Therefore, it is important to always encourage kids to pursue healthy activities such as sports, swimming, cycling, volunteering, walking pets, etc. Any physical activity that makes them happy, burns calories and releases endorphins (the happy hormones) is an important factor for keeping kids healthy throughout their lives.

Visit Our Guides Pages for Ideas on How to Get Active As a Family

5. Mental Health and Physical Health are Intertwined

Mental health actually plays a significant role in physical health. The fact that the mental state of a child has a significant impact on his or her general health is scientifically established.

A depressed or unhappy child is more vulnerable to fall ill in comparison to one who is mentally balanced. Be prepared to talk with your child in an age-appropriate manner about the Coronavirus, sharing facts but not giving into fear.

Take Control of Your Child’s Health: Take Action Today

Most, okay ALL of these concepts are not new. We know we need sleep. We know we should get more exercise. We even know Eleanor cannot live entirely on Kraft Mac and Cheese, although she thinks she can. That yellow powder is a vegetable, right?

However, this virus is a serious wake up call to our family that we haven’t been practicing these healthy habits. Today is a good day to start.

For more information on the coronavirus visit the World Health Organization page: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

references

Chen, M. Y., Wang, E. K., & Jeng, Y. J. (2006). Adequate sleep among adolescents is positively associated with health status and health-related behaviors. BMC public health, 6(1), 59.

Hill, H. A., Elam-Evans, L. D., Yankey, D., Singleton, J. A., & Kang, Y. (2017). Vaccination coverage among children aged 19–35 months—United States, 2016. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 66(43), 1171.

Ngure, F. M., Reid, B. M., Humphrey, J. H., Mbuya, M. N., Pelto, G., & Stoltzfus, R. J. (2014). Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), environmental enteropathy, nutrition, and early child development: making the links. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1308(1), 118-128.

Oosterom, J. (1998). The importance of hygiene in modern society. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 41(3-4), 185-189.

Sugars, added sugars and sweeteners. (n.d.) Retrieved from 

Wrotniak, B. H., Epstein, L. H., Dorn, J. M., Jones, K. E., & Kondilis, V. A. (2006). The relationship between motor proficiency and physical activity in children. Pediatrics, 118(6), e1758-e1765.

Zeanah, C. H. (Ed.). (2018). Handbook of infant mental health. Guilford Publications.

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