As a father of a teenager son and a daughter going to be one soon, I have come to realize that to keep the family happy and healthy we have to adopt healthy habbits.
But that is precisely what I fail at, there is always some other priority.
I am unable to keep the healthy habits for me and my family.
The option left before me was to either,
Change our complete lifestyle.
Or
Adapt habits that do the trick for my family.
The Aim – was to start small and build on it as the time passes, with the hope of making healthy habits a part of our routine.
What could I short list as my take on healthy habits?
#1 Spend Time With The Loved Ones. Decrease the screen time and increase the time spent with the family and loved ones.
#2 Lead By Example before you demand anything from the family. Be the change that you expect in your family. They will notice and contribute. [Read: MOVE = WALK = BURN]
#3 Pray. Nothing brings in more positive vibes than prayer. Start with whoever is willing and work towards the goal.
#4 Teach Kindness and Compassion. Start at home and let the children know the gift of forgiveness. Forgive them for their mistakes and asked to be forgiven for yours.
#5 Gratitude. Learn the virtue of being grateful for what you have. Let the family say a few words of gratitude at dinner time.
#6 Exercise. Encourage everybody to pick up a game or exercise to stay fit. Compete with each other for a prize.
[Read: The need to ‘MOVE’]
#7 Listen. One of the most important thing, listen to your family and do not say NO until you have thought about something well.
#8 Quality sleep. Early to and early to rise makes……., we all know that. Consider the routine of winding down with reading and no screen time.
#9 Screen addiction. Let the kids earn the privilege of screen time. Keep it less than two hours a day.
[Read: Television – Obesity Link]
#10 Encourage Reading. Read to your kids if they are in that age, you will be giving them a precious habit
#11 Manage the Portion of diet. The List does not end here, the message is to Make A List, try to follow it and be happy.
Do not expect the family members to follow you blindly.
Do it yourself and make them believe that they can start this journey to make the family healthy, happy one.
