How to Teach My Toddler to Make Healthy Choices
One of the challenges of raising a child is to have them make smart decisions on their own. Here is how to teach your toddler to make healthy choices.
You want your child to grow up healthy and strong, but it’s not so easy when you have a rebellious toddler who wants to eat sweets and play games all day long.
As a parent, it’s your job to encourage your toddler to make healthy choices. Encouraging healthy eating and activities isn’t easy though. After all, your child doesn’t understand that you’re doing this for their own good!
We’re here to offer some advice. Keep reading to learn all about how to encourage your toddler to make healthy choices and facilitate their long-term health.
Lead By Example
To start: your child will never want to live a healthy lifestyle if you’re not doing it as well. You know that you have to encourage your child to stay healthy, but part of that requires you to get healthy as well.
This is a great opportunity for you.
If you want your child to go outside and play instead of sitting indoors with the television, go with them. Take them on walks or teach them how to ride their bike.
When it comes to healthy eating, you have to do the same. If children don’t see you eating healthy, they may assume that healthy foods aren’t good. By showing children that eating healthy can taste good as well, you’re setting a great example!
Children mimic their parents. Make yourself worthy of that mimicry.
Use Media to Your Advantage
It can be hard to convince a child that they need to stay active and eat healthy when the alternative is playing video games, eating snacks, and watching TV.
Instead of trying to fight these things, make them work for you.
Choose picture books and television shows that display characters doing fun and healthy activities or eating good foods. Children are impressionable, so this can be helpful.
Watching characters play sports, pick vegetables, or exercise might encourage your child to do the same (and bonus: they’ll think it was their idea!).
Make It Fun
Children have brief attention spans, so if you want to encourage health, you need to make it fun and engaging.
When it comes to staying active, this is easy! Children love to play games by default, so take them outside and play. You can set up obstacle courses, play ball, or take them to the playground to bond with other children (which is also great for their development).
Food can be trickier. While some children are easily fooled by healthy foods in fun shapes, you might have to think outside the box.
Consider letting them “play chef” with you in the kitchen. When kids take an active role in their meal preparation, they may be more willing to eat healthy foods!
Help Your Child Make Healthy Choices
Your toddler needs to learn how to make healthy choices, and you’re the perfect person to teach them. Show them how fun a healthy lifestyle can be!
A child who is healthy during their toddlerhood is more likely to stay in good health through adulthood. Set your child on the right path today.
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