Happy Kids
Happy Kids
Parents want to raise happy and healthy kids.
We love our children with all of our hearts, and we want to give them the absolute best.
But how exactly can we do that?
The old joke is true – there is no parenting manual.
And while there are hundreds of thousands of parenting books, resources, and experts, in reality sorting through so much information can be overwhelming.
As families prepare to head back to school, happiness and health are top of mind!
Many experts agree that we can increase wellbeing in our families by focusing on two areas: lifestyle practices and nutrition & supplements.
Lifestyle Practices
Routine
A routine offers children an organized, and predictable environment, which can make them feel grounded, secure, and safe. As children grow and experience life’s constant changes, having a routine can offer an anchor to sense consistency and of belonging to a family. The key to a successful routine is consistency – choose a simple routine that you and your kid enjoy and stick to it!
Activity
Allowing time for children to run around outside, climb trees, explore, go for a swim or a hike, or even dig dirt can boost their mood. Being active and physical also helps reduce anxiety & stress, increases attention capacity and creativity, and increases your child’s ability to connect with others.
Gratitude
Saying “thank you” is a sign of having good manners, but genuinely feeling gratitude is far more meaningful and beneficial to our happiness. Increasing gratitude can be done with something as simple as asking your kids to share one thing that they are grateful for at dinner time.
Love
No child can truly be happy and healthy without plenty of hugs, kisses, and laughter. Creating a safe environment where kids can feel and express love is key to developing kind, generous, confident, and healthy children. Be sure to include “cuddle” or “affection” time into your daily routines – you’ll enjoy the positive outcome just as much as your kids will!
Nutrition & Supplements
Every body, but especially a child’s growing body, requires a variety of vitamins and minerals to be optimally healthy and happy.
Ideally, kids should receive all their necessary nutrients from eating a plethora of fruits, veggies, grains, and proteins. However, as every parent knows, that’s easier said than done. Some kids eat very little while others pick and choose. And others passionately avoid entire food groups like veggies or meats.
To help fill in the nutritional gaps your child might have, it’s important to note what foods are missing from your child’s diet… and which nutrients they may be lacking because of it.
If your child is not eating their veggies no matter how hard you try, they may need extra fiber, magnesium, and calcium. Or if they follow a plant-based diet, they might need additional vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, and zinc.
Most children can also benefit from:
- A whole food multivitamin to fill in overall nutritional gaps
- Fish oil or Algae Omega 3 to promote brain development
- Probiotics to support their immune and digestive system
As we all take steps to improve our health and to live well, we inspire others and give them permission to do the same. Living Healthy improves our lives on a micro level and also helps us begin to contribute to the improvement of our environment, our communities, and our world in ways we can’t always imagine.
Are you looking for some lunch box inspo to help ease the transition from packing for beach days to prepping school backpacks?
Our Lazy Acres Market Resident Chef Isabelle has created 3 delicious bento boxes with “happy” and “healthy” in mind!
Click here for recipes to keep your kiddos healthy and fueled for their day.