1. Go through preventive examinations together
You should monitor your health and periodically see doctors even when nothing bothers you. But if adults wait until the last minute before going to a medical facility, then it will be difficult for children to explain the importance of regular examinations. In addition, some procedures, such as donating blood or dental treatment, can cause stress in a child. When preventive visits to the clinic become something routine for the whole family, the discomfort from medical procedures decreases.
You can start with a medical examination – a comprehensive medical examination that allows you to assess your health over time. Adults need it to reduce the risk of developing diseases or catch them in the early stages, when treatment is easier. And children’s medical examination allows you to make sure that the child’s body is developing without serious disruptions. The whole family can undergo such checks for free. In addition, adults have the right to take paid days off from work in order to safely visit all doctors and get tested.
The year 2024 has been announced in Russia Year of the family. This is a good reason to undergo a free medical examination with the whole family. From 18 to 39 years of age, it is recommended to be examined once every three years; after 40 years of age, medical examinations are required annually. Children are required to have a health check every year, and an extended complex at 1 month, 1 and 3 years, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years. You can sign up for an examination at the clinic’s reception desk, by calling a medical organization or in the “Health” section on the portal “Public services” For your appointment you only need to take your compulsory medical insurance policy, and for adults you also need to take your passport.
2. Get out for active family leisure more often
Walks, trips to a water park, cycling marathons, hiking – there are plenty of options for fun and useful time away from the sofa and gadgets. Here it is worth starting from the age of the child. For example, you can teach him to swim or ride a tricycle at a young age. You can invite your teenager to play basketball together in the yard, roller skate, or go to the sports ground. Try different types of activities so that your child can choose the one he likes. The more pleasure he gets from his activities, the higher the likelihood that a sports lifestyle will become the norm in adulthood.
By the way, if you plan to make regular exercise a part of the life of all family members, consult your doctor in advance. He will tell you how to choose physical activity depending on the state of the body. For example, if you are overweight or have joint problems, some experts recommend choose swimming over running. If you want to send your child to a sports section, take into account not only his physical characteristics, but also his character. Let’s say that a sociable schoolchild can come up team sports, and for shy people – individual sports.
3. Keep track not only of your children’s daily routine, but also of yours
If a child regularly sees parents sacrificing sleep for work or TV shows, it’s difficult to talk about forming a healthy habit. A student in primary school need to sleep 10–10.5 hours, 8–9 is enough for a graduate. Agree to limit noisy games, watching cartoons and communicating on social networks in the evening – such activities can overexcite baby, and it will be more difficult for him to sleep. To make it easier to follow the rules, you can set them for the whole family. For example, agree that adults will also put gadgets aside a couple of hours before bedtime.
It is important to alternate periods of study and rest without overloading the child. Rospotrebnadzor recommends the following standards for completing lessons:
- 1.5 hours in second and third grade;
- 2 hours in fourth and fifth grade;
- 2.5 hours in grades 6–8;
- 3.5 hours in grades 9–11.
For walks and outdoor games, it is advisable to set aside 3–3.5 hours for junior high school students and 2.5 hours for high school students. The ability to alternate the load will be useful to the child in the future. For example, not staying up late on work tasks until the night, giving up rest, helps the skill to concentrate on time, putting off entertainment.
4. Try to eat healthy at home
Family trips to the pizzeria or movie nights with snacks do not have to be cancelled. The main thing is to make the basic menu healthier. The fact is that food preferences are also a kind of habit. If a child begins to eat healthy from childhood, it will be easier for him to compose his diet from healthy foods in adulthood.
To a person necessary proteins, fats and carbohydrates. To understand their optimal daily ratio, imagine a regular plate. One half of it must take vegetables and fruits, and the second – equally divide protein and whole grain products.
Not only the quantity, but also the quality of macronutrients is important. For example, healthy carbohydrates are considered durum wheat pasta, cereals, whole grain bread. A lot of squirrel in lean beef, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fish, beans, peas, lentils. A healthy fat enough in seafood, vegetable oils and nuts. Pay attention to the cooking method: it is better to boil and bake dishes rather than fry.
Sugar should be limited. But do not exclude “harmful” sweets completely: a ban can only increase interest. Better explain why sweets, cakes and chocolates should not be eaten in large quantities. For example, in children who regularly drink sugary drinks, overweight is more common.
5. Don’t give your children any reason to doubt that cigarettes and alcohol are dangerous.
A child can take his first puff or sip of alcohol while still at school. The likelihood of this happening is below, if you talk to him from an early age about the dangers of such substances. Give real-life examples of how addiction affects a person: the story of a famous musician whose career was ruined by alcohol works better than dry statistics. Prepare your child for the fact that some peers may pressure him to try drinking or smoking, but he has the right to say no.
However, it will be difficult for children to believe that their parents are sincere if one of them regularly smokes on the balcony or pours a glass “after a hard day.” Therefore, adults should give up bad habits. This is important not only to set a good example: mother or father smoking increases risk of respiratory diseases in children.
6. Discuss health issues openly
Explain to your child how his body works. For example, at the age of three children you can introduce with the names of different parts of the body – from the eyes and nose to the genitals. Try not to be shy and avoid answering questions, otherwise the child will feel that something interesting is being hidden from him.
If possible, discuss your well-being. For example, if someone in the family has a cold, you can tell them that it cause viruses. As a rule, when treating a disease retreats after a few days, but if you ignore the symptoms, the situation may worsen. By the way, it is also important for adults not to suffer the disease on their feet. If a student sees that parents continue to work even with a fever and cough, he may decide that such behavior is in the order of things.
Let your child understand that if he feels unwell, he should not endure it, but tell him what happened. It is important for caring parents not to brush aside problems. Even if a child simply does not want to go to school and has come up with symptoms, there may be reasons for such behavior – for example, a conflict with classmates.
Prevention and early diagnosis of diseases is one of the priorities national project “Healthcare”. Thanks to his work, hospitals and clinics are replenished with modern equipment, paramedic and midwife stations are opened, and doctors have the opportunity to improve their qualifications. Particular attention is paid to the health of children and pregnant women. Thus, more than 52 thousand specialists across the country have already been trained in the field of perinatology, neonatology and pediatrics. New hospitals and separate buildings are being built, including for the joint stay of children and parents.
