Children pick up different habits as they grow. Healthy habits for teens can go a long way in helping them lead a healthy and peaceful life in the future whereas, poor hygiene or eating habits can be detrimental for them. However, adolescents are often seen to have more affinity towards bad habits such as unhealthy diet, untimely eating, irregular sleep routines, and inappropriate screen time. So, as a parent, how can you help your teenager inculcate good habits? Dive into this post as we some measures to help you guide your child in picking up healthy habits.
1. Establish healthy eating routines
Healthy eating isn’t limited to making healthy food choices. It also talks about eating timely and regularly. Instruct your teens to follow these healthy eating routines:
- Have your breakfast every day.
- Have your meals and snacks on time.
- Have your meals on table along with your family, rather than gulping down food in front of TV.
- Give yourself enough time to have your meals and avoid eating in a hurry.
- Make sure your teen’s meal contains sufficient vegetables since they are rich in numerous nutrients and offer ample health benefits.
- Ensure your teen drinks plenty of water daily. Drinking at least eight glasses of water daily is necessary to good kidney health, good skin, and energized muscles.
2. Incorporate physical activity into your daily life
Encourage your teen to go for a walk every morning, take your dog out for a walk, play some outdoor games or sports, jump on a trampoline, and stay fresh and active every day. Prevent your teen from sitting in front of the television or playing video games for hours.
3. Floss regularly
Another healthy habit for teenagers you should not forget to inculcate. Instruct your teen to brush their teeth every day before going to bed and after they wake up. Show them how to floss for one or two minutes. It will help them develop good oral hygiene. Flossing enhances the positive effects of brushing the teeth and prevents gum infections.
4. Establish a good sleeping routine
Following a good sleeping routine will help your teen stay fresh and fit. Encourage your teen to follow a bedtime routine that helps them relax due to:
- Eating healthy and light before going to bed
- Having a warm bath
- Reading
- Listening to pleasant, relaxing music
- Going to bed at or nearly the same time every day
- Make sure your teen turns off the computer, television, video games, and movies at least 30 minutes before retiring to bed.
5. Practice yoga and meditation
Practicing yoga exercises and meditation techniques every morning can help your teen stay active and lead a fit lifestyle. Yoga poses and meditation enhance the physical as well as the psychological health of the teens and help them handle stress better than usual.
6. Stay away from alcohol and smoke
Teens tend to have an inclination to try smoking or alcohol. However, smoking and drinking alcohol frequently can affect their health. Bad habits can increase the risk of lung disease, gastrointestinal ailments, and other life-threatening health problems. So, educate your teens about cigarettes and encourage them to stay away from smoking and alcohol.
7. Avoid spending hours online
Several studies reveal that teens spending hours online are more vulnerable to internet addiction. Internet addiction may lead to impaired cognitive functions in adolescence and also affect your teen’s eyes adversely. So make sure your teen doesn’t spend long hours online.
Healthy habits go a long way in defining a person’s future. Childhood and teenage years are the best time to develop healthy habits since young people are easier to mold. So, as parents, you should encourage healthy habits in your teenagers. Some habits for teens that you may teach them are developing good eating habits, incorporating physical activity in their daily routine, and getting adequate sleep. However, since teenagers get easily influenced by the outside world and their peers, they may show affinity toward bad habits. Hence, your constant support and encouragement are essential to keep them on track and lead them toward a healthy life.
