Help kids make healthy choices

In this week’s true character, we’re going to talk about how to make healthy choices.

Remember, health is well-being in body, mind, and spirit. How do we help our kids make healthy choices?

Let’s take them through a series of questions. We ask them to help define what “unhealthy” is.

For example, what happens when we stay up late every night? You feel tired, unfocused, and more likely to get sick.

What about when we are eating and we don’t wash our hands before we eat? Oh, we can spread germs, which we have been talking a lot about lately.

What if we eat too many sweets, or salty foods, or we refuse to eat vegetables and fruits? We’re not going to get enough vitamins, we don’t grow strong, and we feel behind all the time… sluggish.

What if you watched too many hours of TV? Watching too much TV puts your brain to mush. It keeps you from exercising, puts your body to mush too.  

What if we hold in our anger, frustration, and sadness? We know that makes us feel kind of sick at the same time too.

Now, to put us on the right path, we make small healthy choices. It’s not always a big thing. We can start out with small stuff.

For example, if you are used to having a soda with a meal every day, replace one soda with water. Or when you’re packing a lunch, add a piece of fruit. When you’re putting together your dinner, add one vegetable. Choose one small thing to make a healthy change each day.

One little healthy choice that you make every day can really build up to a much healthier and much happier person. This includes going to bed a few minutes earlier, or maybe waking up a few minutes later if you can.

Making those little healthy changes and choices every week can add up to quite a bit.

Thanks, and we’ll see on the mat.
-Master Helsdon