Missy Ink Magazine Winter 2017 - Girls Night and Beauty Hacks | Page 58

Physical Health

Raising Happy , Healthy Kids

THERE ’ S MORE TO IT THAN YOU THINK BY LAUREL MORING

Being an alternative mum has absolutely no effect on my wish to parent to the best of my ability and raise healthy , happy children , despite what the general public may believe . Having tattoos and a nose ring does not mean you ’ re determined on raising Satan-worshiping hooligans , I assure you . I personally began researching various parenting topics before we even started trying for my first son , and I haven ’ t stopped since . I suspect my research won ’ t end until my grandchildren are grown , and I ’ m just a crazy old granny . Raising children is a life-long crash course with no instructional manual . It ’ s thankless and hard , but if you want to be a parent , then there is no greater joy in the world . So with absolutely no compass , how do you start this process on the right foot ? Keep this important goal in mind : to raise healthy , happy kids .

As adults , many of us groan at the thought of exercise , but for kids , exercise equals playtime , and it ’ s also just plain fun
When you find out you ’ re pregnant , the first thing on your mind after “ Yay !” or “ Holy crap !” is often , “ What do I need to do right now to keep this baby healthy ?”
That usually means starting to take prenatal vitamins , booking a doctor ’ s appointment , and quitting unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking ( if the news took you by surprise ). You can now pat yourself on the back for doing all the right things in the first few weeks of pregnancy ! Of course there are a few other changes you ’ ll have to make during the coming months , like following your OB or midwife ’ s suggestions for testing and important lifestyle changes including cutting back on caffeine and sugar , not working out excessively , and making sure you get adequate sleep . So you do everything you ’ re supposed to and after 10 months , you pop out a perfectly healthy baby . ( Yes , pregnancy is actually closer to 10 months than nine . Shocker , right ?) Woot , woot ! Congratulations to you , and welcome to the little screaming , crying , pooping life you created . Now what ?
No matter what you read online in the snarky mom forums , or what your 85-year-old doctor tells you , or what information the elder generations of women in your family pass down to you , raising healthy children is not all about the food pyramid . Even from infancy , raising healthy children means instilling healthy habits , including , but not limited to , food intake . This may be music to your ears if your kids are picky eaters like one of mine , so let me share with you some ways that you can ensure your kids grow up healthy , well-rounded , and most importantly , happy .
Physical Health
While the food groups aren ’ t the be-all and end-all of healthiness , they do play a huge role . A well-fed body is a well-working body and much of our personality and lifestyle is based on what we can do with our body and mind . So yes , try to feed your children a balanced diet – whether that includes all types of foods , or not . If you are a vegetarian , vegan , or other alternative diet-based household , just be sure to consult your doctor on how that affects kids from birth through childhood . When in doubt , remember that more colours on the plate equals more vitamins and nutrients for the little ones .
The other component of physical health is of course , exercise . As adults , many of us groan at the thought , but for kids , exercise equals playtime , and it ’ s also just plain fun . When I was growing up , there was a giant divide between the “ jocks ,” “ nerds ,” “ punks ,” etc . Thankfully , this outlook no longer seems to apply . Physical activity is becoming more accepted as a general way of life , and not just something for the “ jocks .” This is great news for our children and it means that the earlier we get them
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