Parents and Guardians

Do you ever ask yourself; am I a good role model for my children?

Do I teach them the valuable lessons of how to be fit and how to lead a healthy lifestyle?

If the answer is NO then start by looking in the mirror. Your child looks up to you so if you aren’t fit and healthy then your child may think they don’t have to bother either.

If the answer is YES then you no doubt look after yourself and want to pass this on to your children so they can live the healthy life that you live and that they deserve.

Don’t be the in between parent. By this I mean don’t teach your children how to be fit and healthy but sit on the couch all day yourself stuffing your face with crisps. This can be confusing to the child and give them a sense of choice, ‘yes I can be fit but yes I can just grow up to be like mammy and daddy eating junk cause they seem fine’.

What your children aren’t seeing are your insides clogging up and health issues raising left right and centre. They don’t see that their lives could be at stake if they don’t keep fit and healthy. So, be the YES parent and take these next few steps to get your family in to fit shape.

1) If you, the parent, aren’t in the best shape then start to educate yourself with the basics. Start by exercising a few times a week and start to trade some of the rubbish foods in your cupboard for healthier alternatives.

2) Educate your children as you are educating yourself, why not learn the basics together as a family, maybe even make games up to make it more fun.

3) Stop taking easy way outs when feeding your children, it’s always easy just to throw them some chips and a micro pizza yet you say you want them to grow in to healthy young adults right? Make more home made meals and give your children a range of foods so that their range of taste doesn’t just narrow down to chicken dippers and turkey dinosaurs.

4) It’s hard these days to pull the youngsters away from the games console but who’s really to blame? I mean you did buy it…

Start by only allowing your child so long on the console and get them to do some physical activity. This could be sending them out with friends to play or get them in to a local sport.

5) Lastly, make the change together. There’s nothing stronger than a family bond, get out for walks, get down the local playing field and retain fitness and good health together.

So what are you waiting for? There are no excuses not to have a healthy lifestyle for you or your children so start in the kitchen, throw out the junk then get your trainers on and get out there with the kids and make sure that they grow in to healthy young adults.