10 tips to raise healthy, happy kids

Our children are our most valued teasures. If we could just secure their well-being, happiness and success in life, we know we've fulfilled our mission and passed parenthood with flying colours.

WHERE TO START

Take charge in providing the best nutrition possible for your child from conception onwards. For them to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, emphasis on clean, healthy living everyday should be set earlier on. For instance, regular visits to your trusted pediatrician for proper guidance and care should never be compromised.

Small gestures go a long way. Establishing good eating habits and making healthy food choices always put them on the right track to living a full life. And there's nothing like regular quality time spent with our kids to help us get to know them better, strengthen bonds of communication, and weave strong moral fibers of trust and honesty.

Here, some of today's top health experts take time to share with us wisdom culled from their many years of dealing with families and children. Consider what they have to say. After all, our kids deserve only the best love and care we can give.

Give yourself : Adequate maternal vitamins and supplements during pregnancy and breat feeding, and a well-balanced diet, complete childhood immunizations and quality time for emotional quotient.

Breast feeding from birth is best for a baby. This should be followed by regular checkups, immunizations and health examination under a dependable healthcare provider. This will ensure good health for your child.

Introduce proper diet to your children - start by breast feeding them [and emphasize] healthy eating in adulthood. Overfeeding should be avoided ; it may lead to obesity in adolescence. Fat babies are not healthy babies.

Accident-proof your home. potential hazards around the home should be identified, and safety measures should be implemented. Every effort should be made to emphasize accident prevention.

Start them young on good habits. Live healthy, live as an example!

Aside from providing good food ang nutrition, parents can be good role models for their children by eating a well-balanced diet and getting egular exercise themselves - to show how important good physical and mental health are.

Responsible parents should provide the best possible education - health education included. Teach them values like respect for elders, and give your utmost love and care.

Breast feed your babies.

Bring your children to their pediatician for checkups and be updated on current immunization procedures.

Be a best friend always to your children. Take good care of them and give them the support - physical, mental, emotional - they need. Do your best to be a good companion - someone they can communicate with who stays put and listens to them.

By : Mary Rose Abad Jimenez.

Source : HealthToday magazine, November 2005