Healthy Habits for Kids
Topic Overview
Habits are hard to break. That’s why the sooner in life we build good, healthy habits, the easier it is to keep them and stay as healthy as possible. And when good habits are in place, it’s easier to resist bad ones.
Your child’s habits start with you
The most important thing to remember is that you are your child’s role model. Your habits affect your children’s habits.
If your habits are unhealthy—smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or always expecting the worst, for example—your child is more likely to get those habits.
If your habits are healthy—eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, looking forward to tomorrow, for example—your children are more likely to build those habits in their own lives.
What follows is help and advice for building good, lifelong habits in four areas:
- Healthy eating.
- Regular physical activity.
- Staying safe and healthy.
- Healthy thinking.
Healthy eating
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More healthy habit information: |
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Regular physical activity
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More healthy habit information: |
Staying safe and healthy
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More healthy habit information: |
Health
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Healthy thinking
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More healthy habit information: |
Encourage balanced thinking:
Manage stress: Prevent bullying: |
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
- Fitness: Adding More Activity to Your Life
- Fitness: Choosing Activities That Are Right for You
- Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children
- Fitness: Teaching Your Child to Stay Active
- Fitness: Walking for Wellness
- Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
- Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats From Your Diet
- Healthy Eating: Helping Your Child Learn Healthy Eating Habits
- Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Eat Out
- Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Shop
- Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change
- Sleep: Helping Your Children—and Yourself—Sleep Well
- Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
- Stress Management: Managing Your Time
Related Information
- Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
- Brushing and Flossing a Child’s Teeth
- Bullying
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 6 to 10 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Mind-Body Wellness
- Growth and Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Social Connections
- Helping Kids Handle Peer Pressure
- Dealing With Today’s Teen Issues
- Safer Sex
- Good-Health Attitude
- Child Car Seats
- Healthy Attitudes Toward Food and Exercise
References
Other Works Consulted
- Ertem IO (2011). Child development. In CD Rudolph et al., eds., Rudolph’s Pediatrics, 22nd ed., pp. 34–42. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Kelly S, et al. (2011). Correlates among healthy lifestyle cognitive beliefs, healthy lifestyle choices, social support, and healthy behaviors in adolescents: Implications for behavioral change strategies and future research. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 25(4): 216–223.
Current as of: April 7, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:John Pope, MD, MPH – Pediatrics & Kathleen Romito, MD – Family Medicine & Adam Husney, MD – Family Medicine
Topic Contents
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