“This post is sponsored by Smart Family Nutrition.”
This past week we introduced “time out” to Little Kevin. We weren’t sure if we thought he was ready and we couldn’t exactly remember when we first started with Brooke, but we decided to try it. He got in trouble, I told him he had to go to time out. He walked over to time out, sat down and faced the wall. He occasionally turned his head to give me a “pouty face”. I was in awe. When we introduced time out to Brooke, it took a little while. We had to sit next to her, we had to teach her what “time out” was and about the rules involved. But, Little Kevin knew what to do… how? I stopped for a minute, then it hit me. He has seen it. He has watched his sister go to “time out” over and over throughout his life. When I told him to come here, he got up and gave me a hug and a kiss while saying sorry.
He knew what to do because he has seen this practice over and over. The same is true for instilling habits in our kids. Habits happen because we instill them or our kids see us do them over and over. I want to be sure I am instilling good healthy habits in my kids. This got me thinking about 5 easy, healthy habits I should be teaching my kids.
Eat Healthy
I feel like I could tell my kids to make healthy choices all day long, but actually showing them how eat healthy by cooking together is a different story. By cooking with my kids, I am teaching them what it means to eat healthy. By taking them to the grocery store, showing them all of the options and choosing the right items, I am teaching them good habits. Cooking with my kids is one of my favorite things to do and I can’t wait until Little Kevin gets a little older to help too! Not only does it create fun memories, but is a great life lesson.
Take Vitamins
Smart Family Nutrition are our vitamins of choice. I wrote a post back in July that we had officially jointed the #smartsquad and switched to Smart Family Nutrition. I broke down their amazing line up of THINK SMART, TUMMY SMART and SEE SMART products which were formulated with the Sears Family of Pediatricians.
THINK SMART is all about brain development. Kids brains grow like a pyramid from the ground up, so developing a strong foundation during the first years of life is crucial for their learning, behavior and health. This line of products gives your family healthy brain support for every stage. TUMMY SMART is all about gut health and the microbiome, which is such a vital part of our lives. The sprinkle pro-biotic packs are so convenient for on the go. They have a unique mix of probiotic strains with 10 billion live cultures to provide the building blocks of a healthy gut flora. SEE SMART eye health melts are easy soft melts that protect developing eyes from damaging blue light exposure from phone, tablets or TV.
In all honesty, my kids LOVE taking these vitamins. Every morning THEY ask me for them after their breakfast. It is like clockwork. We eat breakfast, take our Smart Family Nutrition vitamins, then get ready for our day.
Brush Teeth
Another healthy habit we try to teach our kids is to brush their teeth. We make this a fun event each morning and night. Our kids have a light up toothbrush that they love using and we just make sure its a positive experience each time. Our kids have a stool that use to reach the counter and we let them be very involved. We brush their teeth first, then we let them practice brushing their own teeth after us. We always try to affirm them and let them know they did a great job brushing, or we tell them how they could brush better or remind them not to forget their tongue.
Get Rest
As I have grown up, I have learned the value of rest. Nothing good happens when you are tired. Your whole life and body just functions better on a good nights sleep. It is so important to teach your kids a great bed time routine and consistency. Our kids have the same routine each night and go to bed around the same time. This gives them security, consistency and enough sleep for their little bodies.
Exercise
Exercise is another important healthy habit. Our little family loves getting outside and enjoying the fresh air when we can. My kids could play outside all day if I let them. They always ask to go outside and could just walk around the yard for hours. They enjoy running around and just being kids. Keeping our bodies fit and exercising often is such a good habit.
These five things are all essential to a great overall health. From Smart Family Nutrition Vitamins to cooking healthy meals – it is so important to teach your kids healthy habits by showing them. Words are not enough, incorporating these into your everyday life shows them how important they are to their lives. Let’s just say, I have definitely joined the #smartsquad for life!