Podcast Discusses How to Promote Better Sleep and Other Wellness Habits for Children
It’s often difficult for caregivers to get children to go to sleep and, as a result, it can be a challenge to get children who are not getting enough sleep to focus on learning.
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Sometimes, getting children to go to bed at the desired time can be difficult due to inconsistent routines or small disruptions that can throw them off.
In the latest Thriving Kids podcast, Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, discusses how caregivers can help children develop lasting sleep habits as well as why better rest can make everything else easier, from focusing on learning to mood or resilience.
The podcast discusses sleep, but also other ways to build healthy habits, such as encouraging regular movement, eating balanced meals, and creating predictable routines.
Recommendations listed in the Thriving Kids podcast to help children build strong wellness habits include:
Make wellness a routine - plan meals together, take family bike rides, and encourage sleep through such routines as bedtime stories or listening to relaxing music before the lights go out.
Understand healthy choices - help children understand how different foods affect their bodies and minds, and discuss how healthy choices can make them feel better, such as how vegetables can give them stronger muscles or sleep can make their brains sharper.
Discuss healthy habits early - start talking about healthy choices when children are small by letting them pick out fruits while food shopping and involving them in meal preparation (let them help wash vegetables).
Have routine family check-ins - get children to talk about how things are going and celebrate successes; find out if they are getting enough sleep and praise efforts to be healthy, while working together on areas that need to be tweaked.
For more information on how to promote wellness in young children, listen to the Thriving Kids podcast.