When you have children, your priorities change and your focus becomes their health and happiness. This means being on top of finding care for them when they have a sore throat, an itchy eye, or just aren't feeling themselves. October is Children's Health Month, and although we focus on pediatric care every day, we also want to take this opportunity to discuss the importance of being proactive in your child's health.
Healthy Habits for Kids
The same healthy habits that you practice can be taught to your children at an early age. This includes:
- Making sure they eat a healthy, high fiber diet
- Practicing fun physical activities
- Reading every day
- Drinking water
- Spending time with family and friends
- Allowing them to feel their feelings
- Going to yearly doctor checkups and making appointments when they feel sick
Protecting Your Children's Health
A huge contributor to our kids getting sick are, well, other kids. Children get sick more often than adults because their immune systems are still developing. When they are in close contact with each other at daycare and school, they are increasing their chances of getting sick. It is our responsibility as parents to make sure that we teach the importance of practicing basic good hygiene like handwashing and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. It is also up to us to make sure that if our child is sick, we don't run the risk of exposing other children, so keep them home until they are better.
When your child is sick, we know that you may take time off of work to stay home with them, but we can offer you one less trip by bringing our pediatric services to you, or offering telehealth appointments, so that everyone can stay safe at home.
Did you know that taking care of yourself is a necessary part of keeping your child safe? A lot of injuries to children happen when caregivers are stressed or tired or emotionally drained, so make sure that you are aware of how you're feeling, too.
When your child is young, make sure that you are taking safety precautions around the home. Store poisonous products in out of reach places and cover electrical outlets. Teach your child to fasten their seatbelts and to not touch hot items. Although these don't necessarily impact overall health, they directly impact your child's safety.
How to Improve Your Child's Health
There are four major ways to help improve your child's health every day:
- Exercising and spending time outdoors is a great way to get your child active which helps improve their mental and physical health. It also introduces your child to expose your child to different allergens which can actually help form immunity against them as they grow.
- Fruits and vegetables contain the essential nutrients that are needed for good health. Letting your child try different fruits and vegetables allows them to find what they like and helps to avoid the problem of "refusing" to eat healthy food.
- Make sure they stay on top of their oral health, too. Not only does it help freshen breath, but children brushing twice a day can help prevent future health issues as they grow.
- Get annual vaccinations! They are the best way to help create immunity against disease, but they can also prevent your child from getting other children sick.
At Ascend Medical, we champion the wellbeing of your child, meaning we want to set them up for continued success when it comes to their health. Start good health hygiene early by scheduling a pediatric appointment with one of our skilled providers today.
Schedule Your Appointment Now