Every parent must know the essential health tips for elementary students. This will help them ensure their kids grow up to be healthy individuals at all ramifications.
The best time to start teaching kids about their health is young. As a parent, you know that your child will always be a part of the family and share your values, so they must learn good habits early on.
Health tips for elementary students depend on factors such as nutrition, sleep, exercise, rest, and hygiene.
7 Health Tips for Elementary Students
Below are the essential health tips every elementary student should observe.
1. Get plenty of exercise
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health! It makes you stronger, helps prevent diseases like heart disease and diabetes, improves mental health, and helps control weight gain.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between 6 and 17 get 60 minutes of daily physical activity. This can include walking, running and biking to school, playing sports, or doing chores around the house.
2. Schedule playtime into your daily routine
If you schedule playtime into your day, it will be easier to find time for it! Set aside a specific amount of time each day (like 30 minutes) for unstructured play with friends or family members.
You might try setting aside free time after school to squeeze in a game or two before homework! Play keeps them fit physically and mentally.
3. Incorporate healthy eating habits
Elementary-aged children need to eat breakfast daily because it helps them concentrate in class and perform better on tests.
Kids should also learn how to make healthy choices while away from homes, such as choosing low-fat dairy products instead of sugary snacks like cookies or candy bars.
Teach them to get well-balanced meals which consist of three square meals, and introduce your children to eating fruits and vegetables. If they are taught how to eat fruits and vegetables at this stage, they will become part of them growing up.
4. Get plenty of sleep every night
Sleep is essential for healthy growth and development in children. A lack of sleep can seriously affect your child’s health, including slower reaction time, impaired memory, and mood swings.
Help your child establish good sleeping habits by setting regular bedtimes and waking times each day; avoid caffeine after 2 p.m.; try not to use electronics before bedtime; keep bedrooms dark (blackout shades or curtains); use a fan instead of an air conditioner and ensure they sleep for at least eight hours daily.
5. Drink plenty of water throughout the day
Water is essential for your body to work correctly and stay healthy. It helps flush out toxins from your system and makes up more than half of your body weight!
Drinking plenty of water daily will help keep you feeling full, so you don’t overeat during meals or snacks. Try carrying a water bottle at school to take sips whenever you need them!
Apart from drinking water, there are other ways to stay more hydrated.
6. Proper hygiene habits
Teach children the importance of brushing their teeth after eating or drinking anything sweet or sugary, as this will help prevent tooth decay and cavities from forming in their teeth (if left untreated).
Also, teach them the importance of hand washing after eating, touching a dirty surface, and using the toilet.
Teach them the importance of bathing twice daily and keeping their fingernails clean.
7. Limit their sugar intake
The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that sugar makes up about 17% of children’s food daily.
Children who feed more on beverages and processed food are exposed to this sugar and placing them at a higher risk of having dental problems, obesity, or related diseases later in the future.
Hence, it is imperative that children who are elementary students reduce their sugar intake.
Conclusion
Growing healthy children is necessary, and this cannot be achieved if the above health tips are not maintained. Ensure you stick to the health plans and keep them away from drugs, tobacco, or sugar. Note that this is the best stage of the child’s life to teach them a healthy lifestyle.
