As a mom, I know that sometimes it is hard to live a healthy and active life. Right as you sit down to plan a healthy meal for your family, your kids ask you to play with them. You attempt to organize some outdoor activities for the kids, but life happens and you just do not have the time anymore. It is so important to teach your kids how to live a healthy lifestyle, and try to start them out young! In this article, we will discuss some ways to keep your kids healthy and active, even as a busy mom.
Notice: I had the absolute pleasure to partner with CREATIVE CHANGE CONNECT to bring you this article. Their mission is “connecting families through play and learning.” They have monthly eBooks with activities, recipes, and worksheets for your family. Purchases made via my affiliate links will provide me with a small commission, that I will use to help grow Mommy Did You Know LLC.
Start during pregnancy
The first step to keep your kids healthy is by starting to make healthy decisions during your pregnancy. Make sure to follow up with your prenatal visits, and take PRENATAL CLASSES before you have your baby. You can also sign up for free prenatal and breastfeeding classes using the form below:
Stay up-to-date with wellness checkups and vaccinations
Your next step to keep your kids healthy is to follow up with your pediatrician follow-ups, and stay up-to-date with vaccinations if they are in your family plan. Make sure to inform yourself with current CDC RECOMMENDATIONS regarding vaccination schedules for your children.
When deciding on a pediatrician, make sure you choose someone who lines up with your family ideals, and is available when you need them. It is always nice to have someone who you can reach even on nights and weekends. Your child will not be able to plan only to be sick during normal office hours, so it is so important to find a pediatrician who will support you at any time.
Know normal child development stages and milestones
Skills such as waving, talking, walking, crawling are all developmental milestones. It is so important for parents to understand these milestones because how your child learns, speaks, and acts can tell you a lot about their development. As a parent, try to support your child’s development as much as possible, and pay attention to any delayed development. You can always discuss your concerns with your pediatrician as necessary.
The CDC has a detailed checklist to help you navigate through your child’s development. The checklist below has normal developmental milestones, in addition to possible activities you can do with your children during each stage.
CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE MILESTONES CHECKLIST DEVELOPED BY THE CDC!
Protect your kids
My next recommendation to keep your kids healthy is to simply protect them. Be aware of maltreatment, educate yourself on car seat safety, keep harmful substances out of reach, and watch what you say around your children. Your kids are the light of your life, and you want to protect them to the best of your ability.
Show your kids love and attention
Kids do not necessarily need SUPERMOM. They need you. Love them and show them the attention they need. LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD to see what is important to them. Here are a few questions you can ask your child to see what they need in their mom.
“What is “awesome” about mommy?“
“How do you know that mommy loves you?“
“What makes you feel happy?“
“What makes you feel sad?“
“What are 5 words that can describe mommy?“
“What is the nicest thing that mommy ever did for you?‘
Listening to your child can open up new avenues in your relationship. Children are a lot more intelligent than we give them credit for!
Plan healthy meals and snacks
If you truly want to keep your kids healthy, one of the biggest choices you can make is to follow a healthy diet. I say that this is a choice because it is a decision, and one that you need to make every day. It is not easy, but it is worth it. If you child is a picky eater, try bright and fun snacks to make eating entertaining. Start making healthy food choices now, so they continue to make them in the future.
For our family, it sometimes can be very difficult for me to plan healthy and fun meals for the kids. This is why I absolutely love the FOOD WORKBOOK from Creative Change Connect. Their monthly ebook has cooking tips, family friendly recipes for the entire month, and even family date night activities every week.
It is so important to spend quality time with your family, and that is why this workbook is so special. It not only has easy recipes for busy moms, but it also connects your family through specialized activities. I highly recommend this book for your family.
Plan special moments
I love making precious moments with my children. A family game night or movie night will be a wonderful time to share with your children. the FOOD WORKBOOK from Creative Change Connect has family date night ideas every week that include a recipe, activity, and games for your family.
Keep your kids active
Another step to keep your kids healthy is by keeping them active. Try to plan time every week with your family. You can visit the zoo, go for a walk, visit an aquarium or visit a pet store. Give them something to look forward to every week. THE OUTDOOR WORKBOOK from Creative Change Connect has nice ideas for family outings, and even has outdoor activities that you can do with your children. I love these activities because they not only are fun, but also very educational.
Encourage their development
Children are so much smarter than we give them credit for sometimes. One amazing way you can help encourage their development is by using sensory bins and learning activities. These help to integrate all the senses so your child can learn in a variety of ways. Let them learn and play in their own way. THE OUTDOOR WORKBOOK from Creative Change Connect has a ton of exciting sensory bin activities for your family.
Teach your kids healthy habits
Healthy habits start in childhood. I know that sometimes it can seem very difficult as a busy mom. That is why I absolutely love the WORKBOOKS from Creative Change Connect. For the small price of $9.99 a month, they provide you with everything you need for a month of healthy meals and activities for your children.
Healthy habits can start now! Some habits you can teach your children include:
Limit screen time
Read every day
Wear a seat belt
Eat breakfast
Enjoy physical activities
Keep a positive perspective
Conclusion
Congratulations on your new baby! It is such a blessing, and I am so happy that you are educating yourself on what to expect. Preparation brings a level of confidence that is so important to new parents. Remember that you can always check out our BABY ACADEMY for all of our prenatal resources for new parents. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help!
Free Prenatal Class
Enjoy a free prenatal class from the comfort of your own home! This is a course that I wrote based on a decade of professional and personal experiences regarding everything from childbirth to newborn care. This is a self-paced course that you can watch anytime and anywhere you want! You can sign up HERE. I look forward to connecting with you! – Rachel
Exciting News!!
Did you know that many insurance plans include FREE prenatal and postnatal consultations? See if you qualify by filling out this form: INSURANCE AUTHORIZATION FORM. Consultations can be virtual, in home, or in office with no out of pocket costs.
Sources
- https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/index.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/children.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
- https://www.chop.edu/primary-care/developmental-milestones
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/nutrition-for-kids/art-20049335
- https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/nutrition-age/children
- https://pathways.org/topics-of-development/sensory/
- http://www.kamloopschildrenstherapy.org/sensory-development
Will definitely pass along to my mama friends 🙂
Thanks so much! We are all here to support each other
Putting your phone down is the beginning of interaction – parents need to limit their screen time too.
Yes that is so true!! It starts with us as the example right
Great tips! It’s hard to feel like I have a solid grasp on all of these at the same time, but I feel like I do a pretty good job most of the time.
Most of these tips are no-brainers, but unfortunately it takes someone like you to let some parents know how/what to do. I’m very proud of how my daughter and SIL are raising my grandsons. They do all the things you talk about and more…EXCEPT my daughter has very rare kidney disease so the boys were born prematurely and are tiny for their ages. She did the best she could to stay healthy, but still almost died during both pregnancies.
Keep educating!
Wow such an amazing story, I can see that you are very proud of your family. Sometimes the best we can do is make the best of our situations and try as hard as we can!
Great post! I don’t have kids yet but I’ll keep this in mind when I do, in the mean time I’ll pass this along to my sister. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for reading, I enjoyed writing this post!
These are such good and down to earth tips. I love the snack art too!
Aww thanks so much
These are such good and down to earth tips. I love the snack art too!
Really great points. It’s sometimes hard to find that balance, but it is so important for kid’s well-being.
Yes, they are so special 🙂
Great tips. I still treasure those special moments that I had with my boys.
Yes they are the best!
Great tips! The limitation on screen time is a big one, especially during the pandemic!
Yes so true!