4 Healthy Family Habits to Influence a Child’s Life

Healthy habits learned as children often stay with us adults. For a child, their first and most important teachers are their parents and carers. Leading by example, and making healthy changes together as a family, will give your child the best possible start to life. Here are 4 healthy family habits that will influence your children to make positive health choices in the future:

Eat together

Children learn what’s ‘normal’ from their parents, including food and meal time habits. To model healthy eating habits, families can:

• Eat nutritious foods
• Describe food by talking about flavour, texture, smell and colour – not good or bad, yuck or yum
• Eat together and connect at mealtimes – try to avoid watching TV
• Try new foods.

Be active together

When your child sees you take part in regular physical activity, they are more likely to view it as a normal part of their own lives. To get more active, try to:

• Build physical activity into your family’s current routine
• Move and play in ways that you enjoy
• Get moving as a family, for example go for a walk together or kick the footy around.

Reduce sitting and screen time

Our bodies aren’t designed to sit for long periods – we need to move to stay healthy. Find screen-free ways to be together as a family, like physical activity and active play. Families can also benefit from monitoring how much time is spent on screens, and agree on whole-of-family rules and limits.

Follow a sleep routine

It’s not just about children’s sleep – parents need a good sleep routine too. When the whole family has a good sleep pattern, everyone will have the energy to follow through on other healthy habits, like being active and eating well.

Change starts with a single step

It’s ok to start small. As a family, choose what you’d like to change and plan how you will do it. Set a goal as a family – you can use this goal setting template – and work together to achieve it. When this change becomes a habit, the whole family will feel more confident to take on the next change.

Remember that it’s not about being perfect, because nobody is! Small changes add up to a healthier you – and a healthier future for your children.

Content developed by Children’s Health Queensland (2019).