We are living in strange and scary times, and no one feels that more than an anxious child. To navigate these tricky and unprecedented waters, you need to sit down and formulate a plan with your partner.
Your priority as a parent should be your children and ensuring that they feel comfortable, safe, and loved. Remember, children need even more patience and love when they are stressed or uncomfortable with a situation. Below are five of the best tips for keeping your family healthy while you are at home:
Family Health – Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your family fit and healthy. Not only is exercise good for the body, but it is also great for mental health because it promotes a chemical release of endorphins in the brain – and we could all use a little more of those feel-good vibes.
Another technique to keep your family busy and interested is through sports. Plan recurring family relay races or soccer games so everyone can participate in sports. Wear safety equipment like knee pads and helmets to guard against injuries and to keep everyone safe.
Turn hard work into fun and games by planning family events with prizes and décor to go with them. Your children need to know that they should still be having fun, no matter what else is going on around them.
Family Health – Quality Sleep
Sleep is vital for growth and development in children. Children who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved learning, memory, focus, and overall health. Even just a few hours of regular sleep deprivation can lead to blood pressure problems, obesity, and even depression.
Aim to get to bed early every night, and develop a consistent routine to stick to. Sleep-deprived children will get a second wind and it’ll be almost impossible to get them to settle down again.
Clean Environment
Stress levels are heavily influenced by the environment you are in, and that stress affects our bodies in multiple ways. That is one of the reasons why your family must live in a clean and tidy house.
If your child is suffering from behavioral problems or anxiety, one of the best things you can do is hire residential cleaning services. To get the kids involved, create a fun chart with their chores on it, and award them stars when they are done. Children will always respond well to positive reinforcement, and if that builds their confidence at the same time as getting the house tidy, who are we to argue?
Encourage Open Dialogue
Encourage an open dialogue with your children so they feel comfortable coming to you with their problems. Conversation allows children to express their thoughts and resolve conflict, which are two critically important life skills to learn from an early age.
Children who communicate in a healthy and safe environment often go on to have excellent communication skills as an adult.
Family Health – Laugh
Laughter truly is the best medicine. A good, hearty laugh can relieve physical tension and stress and leave your body relaxed for almost an hour afterward. Play games and plan fun activities that your family can do together.
Laughing boosts the immune system and decreases stress hormones, which will leave your family with an added resistance to illness and disease.
Your family are your world – what better way to show them that than to keep them happy in their safe space?
‘Disclaimer – This post was featured by Twinkl in their Mental Health in Schools Blog‘.
Leave a Reply