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It takes dedication and creativity to raise a family in the right way, that is, in a way that’s healthy, connected, supported, and progressive. We’ve put together health and wellness advice and some of the ways you can address common issues so you can put down the flagstones of success for your family.
Healthy eating patterns
Although three meals a day won’t suit everyone, thanks to all of the activities each member of the family might have, you may need to get creative to make sure everyone is eating healthy. One of our family’s favorite games is to try to eat 25 different fruits and vegetables each week. If you can plan your meals around having a variety, and gamify it, everyone should be getting proper nutrition.
Keep the family active
The human body has evolved to be active; it needs physical activity to maintain muscle strength and increase oxygen to the brain that helps with mental functioning and mental health. So if you want your family members to prosper, whatever their age, encourage activity regularly. If you follow any health and wellness advice, you should follow this one.
So how exactly can you do this, especially if they would rather stay in the house and play video games? It might take some time for children to realize that exercise is beneficial, so until they do, develop exercise patterns for them like regular walks or hikes and sporting activities. Or, if they still insist on video games, consider getting an Oculus Quest 2. Our family uses the Supernatural app to work out.
Buy the safest cradle
Whether it’s your first child or you’re fifth, you want to prepare for their arrival correctly, and one of the first things you need is an adequate cradle. A cradle is so important to your child’s comfort and health, but also to their safety. Depending on how many years it’s been since your last baby, your old cradle might not be up to safety standards. So, consider baby cradle safety as a top priority.
Other advantages of a first-class cradle include better comfort and better sleeping patterns for your child. Cradles are a throwback, but they are still popular, especially for infants who like to be rocked to sleep. A cradle is also more portable than a crib.
Encourage digital detox
I don’t know about your family, but ours as a whole could benefit from a digital detox. This means switching off your devices and putting them aside for a time to engage more fully in family life. Digital devices can become obsessive unless they are carefully controlled.
A digital detox is the practice of putting away your devices for a period and communicating in the old-fashioned way. It not only gives your family’s eyes a break from the screen, but it can improve sleep patterns and encourage a closer connection with your family members. When we go camping, we like to do it near the Canadian border in the Boundary Waters area where there’s very little cell reception. This forces our family to spend time together without the pressure of social media or being connected 24/7.
Encourage family gatherings
One other way you can create a closer family unit and avoid the excesses of digital life is to encourage family gatherings. Again, this can be on a big scale or a small scale. For instance, you might like to arrange a large family gathering now and then for an anniversary or occasion. Our extended family does enormous family reunions where everyone camps and has a potluck over a weekend. While I don’t always have time to go as an adult, I had fond memories of it as a kid.
Family gatherings don’t have to be large-scale events; they can be as simple as sitting around the dinner table and talking like people once did or arranging a family gathering once a week, such as a movie night, a cooking night, or a board game night.
Make a comfortable home
Living comfortably is all about finding the balance between family time and alone time for family members. Depending on the types of personalities you have in your family, some of them might prefer one form of interaction over another, but you need to make room for everyone.
Some structure in a home is good, but not too much; you don’t want to overwhelm them with rules. Instead, make a pared-down schedule for your home that gives family members enough structure to feel secure, but not rules that will impact their sense of independence.
Reduce toxicity
Toxicity comes in many forms; there is the toxicity of food, for instance, toxicity that’s even present in some fruits and vegetables. The toxicity in food, particularly in processed foods, can be harmful to DNA. As a result, it can cause premature aging and some forms of cancer.
This isn’t the only type of toxicity you can get. You can find toxicity in medications, illnesses, and even in behaviors and attitudes. So, identify the toxicity in your home and take measures to eliminate them with regular cleansing and detox practices.
Make your home stress-free
Stress is one of the leading causes of illness; stress affects the mind and emotions in not fully understood ways. Of course, individuals each have their own stressors, but there are ways you can reduce the overall stress in your home life.
The first thing to do is to clean and make sure your home is tidy. There’s a reason Feng Shui homes are always neatly tidied with linear designs and plenty of curves. This neatness is the best way to reduce stress in the home. So clear up the junk mail and old magazines, toss out or donate things that no longer bring you joy, and if you bring anything new into the home, take out two old things.
Encourage community
There’s a lot of health and wellness advice out there, but this is something that most experts agree on. If you want to encourage family values in your children and create a healthy environment for them to grow and develop, it’s important to encourage community in their life. This can mean the community of your family, but it can also mean the larger communities around you.
Your children will have a school community, and you are likely to have a community of like-minded people for your interests. So always encourage interaction with your communities and make efforts to ensure your children are socialized in the right kind of ways. Our kids are involved in a lot of school activities and sports. The oldest also has an acting community thanks to having been in a community play in a nearby town.
Encourage mindful living
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware of the mind and its patterns. When you bring more awareness into your life, it starts to transform in wholesome, beneficial ways. If you’ve tried mindfulness before, you might have some experience of this yourself and want it for your family.
One way you can encourage mindfulness in your family is to teach them the practices of mindfulness and show them that mundane tasks – like washing the dishes – can be so much more enjoyable when using mindfulness. You might also take them on mindfulness walks.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of health and wellness advice for your entire family.
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