Inculcating healthy habits in our children is one of the most important responsibilities we shoulder as parents. This is because we want to see them growing up happy, healthy, well-adjusted, confident and productive. Habits are a powerful force that has a way of shaping the character of a person. The habits one acquires in childhood often stays well into adulthood. And children are very observant of their immediate family and environment. That is why teaching and modelling healthy behaviour will help instill them into our children.

Here are some ways to get started:

1: Role Model Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Studies show[1] that lifestyle is an important determinant of health. According to the World Health Ooganisation (WHO) that did a cross national study on school-aged children from 35 countries, 60% of lifestyle factors impact the health and quality of life[2] of children aged two to 18, predisposing them to obesity, mental health problems and chronic diseases later in life. An unhealthy lifestyle includes factors such as unhealthy diet, malnutrition, overuse and misuse of technology, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress and so on.

Children imitate how their parents behave − from the way they talk to the way they walk. If you want your children to adopt healthy habits in life, you have to lead by example. Choose to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink only water or unsweetened drinks. And don’t smoke.

The more a parent smokes, the more likely their teen sons or daughters will smoke. Daughters are more likely to be nicotine dependent if the mother is dependent on nicotine[3]. Apart from demonstrating a bad habit, the children are breathing in second-hand smoke which puts them at an increased risk of cancer and heart disease. Children who breathe in second-hand smoke are more likely to have ear infections, pneumonia and bronchitis in their first few years of life[4].

2: Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

As children, your little ones would not know what is healthy or unhealthy foods. Food preference is cultivated so as long as whatever they are eating tastes sweet and appealing, children will develop a sweet tooth that would make them crave sweet foods and drinks throughout life. Eating an overload of candies, chocolate bars and sugary desserts can lead to obesity as well as cavities in their teeth. As a parent, you determine what your child eats. You can help your child learn how to make healthy food choices and how to adopt healthy eating habits by:

• Introducing them to fruits and vegetables from the moment they are weaned so they get used to the taste. Fruits and vegetables can be pureed if they are just starting to transition to solid food.
• Not introducing added sugars or sweetness into their meals and drinks before 24 months, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations[5]. Read the label to ensure the food or beverage has no added sucrose.
• Avoiding foods that are high in salt like crisps, packaged snacks and processed meats. A toddler’s food doesn’t need heavy seasoning and sauces.
• Encouraging drinking plain water instead of sodas and juices or substituting with sparkling water instead of letting them drink carbonated drinks and lifestyle beverages. Encourage them to cultivate a taste for plain water.
• Eating fruits and vegetables yourself. Your children will follow what you do.
• Cutting back on fast foods and junk food.
• Eating at home where you can control what goes into the cooking.
• Buying and serving more fruits and vegetables and letting your child choose them at the supermarket.
• Buying fewer soft drinks and high fat and high calories foods like cookies, chips and cakes.
• Letting your children help you prepare meals in the kitchen so they are involved in meal-making and understand more about food.
• Limiting portion sizes. Only serve the appropriate amount of the five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy), and don’t insist that the child finishes everything on their plate. On the other side of the coin, don’t let them overeat either. And eat slowly.
• Eating breakfast everyday. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and children must never skip the meal or they will not have the energy to be active, alert, or be in the state of mind to learn or pay attention in class. Being hungry will also leave the child getting “hangry” and looking for bulky less healthy foods just to fill a growling stomach later in the day. Fuelling up in the morning also helps to keep blood sugar levels in check. The brain needs a continuous supply of glucose to function properly[6].

3: Prioritize Family Time Together

Begin family time with mealtimes. When families eat together, they are spending time doing one of the most enjoyable things in life – and that is eating food. Sitting together for meals, without screens, also provides family members to share the things they did for the day, have conversations and bond with each other. It is also a chance for the parents to model good eating etiquette, manners and habits. Although everyone may be busy with their own timetables, schedule at least one meal a day to sit down and eat together as a family. Children who have meals with their parents tend to have better emotional health. In a 2022 survey[7] by the American Health Association, 91% of parents say their family is less stressed when they eat together.

Family time also includes spending time talking to each other, taking walks, playing games, doing household chores together or other simple activities that promote family bonding.

4: Demonstrate the Importance of Exercise

An important habit to develop is leading an active lifestyle. Aside from keeping fit and trim, improving cardiorespiratory health and building up muscle and bone strength, exercise is also good for the brain as it improves mood and alertness resulting in better school performance. Fit kids sleep better too and are less likely to develop depression and anxiety.

According to Australian Guidelines[8] on physical activity for children, toddlers and preschoolers up to the age of five should have 180 minutes or three hours of light to energetic physical activity a day. At least one hour out of the three should include activity that raises the heartbeat such as skipping, hopping or throwing and catching a ball. Those aged from five to 18 years old should do at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity such as jumping on a trampoline, running or playing a sport in addition to several hours of light physical activity each day.

Physical activities could range from nature walks and hiking and gardening, to skipping, running, dancing, throwing and catching a ball or riding a bike and swimming to playing a sport like football, basketball, squash or badminton. Who knows, your child may excel at the sport and become the next Datuk Nicol David or Datuk Lee Chong Wei. Nicol David started playing squash at the age of five[9] while Lee Chong Wei started playing badminton at the age of 11[10], although he was already a talented basketball player before taking up badminton.

The best way to get children up on their feet and exercising is by exercising along with them. Make exercise a family affair where everyone has fun together. As the saying goes: “A family that plays together, stays together.”

5: Practice Good Personal Hygiene

Building good personal hygiene habits is imperative. Teach your children to be clean, such as:

• Bathing thoroughly at least twice a day, especially after an active session of outdoor activities. Our hot and humid Malaysian weather makes us sweaty and grimy.
• Paying attention to one’s own appearance such as combing the hair, being neat and dressing appropriately to be socially presentable.
• Brushing teeth at least twice a day. Practicing good oral hygiene is very important as teeth can develop cavities and gums can get infected.
• Washing hands often especially after using the toilet and before eating. In Malaysia, this habit is even more important as it is the culture to eat with the hands.
• Covering the mouth with a tissue and turning away when coughing and sneezing.
• Clothes must be changed and washed frequently. The same dirty clothes cannot be worn again after a bath but must be washed first.
• Washing the bedsheets and towels often.

6: Limit Screen Time

Screens can be useful when it comes to learning such as when doing research for a school project or homework. However too much of screentime can be detrimental to children’s health. Establish guidelines for how much time your children are allowed to spend on recreational screentime. This includes the TV, tablets, video games and smartphones.

The suggested screen time use by age[11] are as follows:

• 18 Months and Younger: No screen time except for the occasional video calls to family members. For those 12 months and younger − no screen time at all.
• 18 to 24 months: No more than an hour a day. Choose high quality educational programmes where parents can co-watch to help children understand what they are viewing.
• 24 to Five Years Old: No more than an hour a day. Parents should co-view the media and apply it to their daily activities and the world around them.
• Six Years and older: Place consistent limits on the time spent on screens, and monitor the types of media watched. Make sure screentime does not interfere with adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviours essential to health.

7: Establish Good Sleep Hygiene

“Sleep Hygiene” refers to healthy habits, behaviours and environmental factors that can help your children get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is very important to a child. Sometimes you may notice that your child seems to have grown overnight. That is true because a lot of growth happens during sleep as secretions of the human growth hormone peak throughout the night[12]. Not only that, sleep is the time the body repairs itself and regulates the immune system preventing your child from coming down with infections and illnesses. Getting a full night’s sleep also means the child wouldn’t be cranky, jittery and sleepy the next day as lack of sleep affects brain function and mood.

Children need eight to 14 hours of sleep depending on their age[13]. Toddlers up to two years of age need 11 to 14 hours of sleep, preschoolers three to five years of age need 10 to 13 years while school aged children aged six to 13 need 10 to 13 hours of sleep. Adolescents up to 17 years of age need eight to 10 hours of sleep. Generally, he younger the child, the more sleep he or she needs. Here’s how to help your children establish a good sleep hygiene:

• Develop a consistent sleep schedule. Whether or not it’s a holiday or a weekend, sleep and wake up at the same time each day so that the body can synchronise its circadian rhythm and time when to release the body’s growth hormone and cell repair.
• Make the room conducive to sleep by making it comfortable and cool and turning off the light.
• Turn off screens and remove them from the bedroom 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
• Have the child wind down an hour before bedtime.
• Avoid eating large meals before bed.
• Cut out bedtime drinking and snacking.
• Avoid exercise before bed.