Happy Monday, hope you all enjoyed the beautiful sunshine yesterday! We headed out to the Beach for a walk and play in the water, it was a stunning day for this. Then we finished off with a coffee (for me) and nutshake (for Krystie and Milly) from Hapi… one of Milly’s favourite treats!
In today’s newsletter I thought I would share a father’s thoughts on raising a healthy child. Before I get into this I would like to say, I am NOT an expert in raising kids and I don’t profess to be one. My 7 tips are based on my own observation, perceptions and some research studies. If you disagree with my tips then that’s cool bananas.
So without further ado…
1 – Don’t reward your child with food.
Even though using food to get your child to do something can work in the short term it isn’t the best long term strategy. During the first 7 years of a child’s life they are forming strong neurological bonds. By rewarding with food your kids will become adults that seek food as a reward.
In years to come when little Johnny has had a tough day, out comes the wine and chocolate because, well it’s been a hard day.
2 – Children need to earn their stability
Kids are born with incredible amounts of mobility. It’s not difficult for them to put their foot behind their head. The stages of development from rolling to crawling, sitting to standing and everything in-between is a fundamental to a child’s stability and motor control.
Check out this 2 minute video of Grey explaining why it’s okay to kick your kids down to the floor 😉
3 – Feed your child as much as they like.
So long as the food is healthy – protein, fats, veggies & fruit – let your child eat as much as they want. They won’t over eat because the food tells them to stop eating. Leptin a hormone made in the fat cells let’s your child know that they have had enough food. The difference between adults and children is that we as adults have stopped growing upwards, so an excess of food and we will grow outwards. As adults many of us suffer from leptin resistance, that is – regardless of how much we eat we just never seem to feel full. And because we have reached our potential of growing tall, we will just grow outwards
4 – Don’t worry your child won’t starve
On the flipside if your child isn’t hungry don’t stress. Don’t force your child to finish their meal, they won’t go hungry, not purposely. Not until they can be conscious about it (around age 13).
5 – Let your child play as much as you can.
The benefits of play are phenomenal. Play allows for creativity all while developing your child’s imagination, dexterity and emotional, physical and cognitive strength. Children learn to engage and interact with the world around them through play.
6 – Be calm
The easiest way I found to get my little one to sleep was to be calm and relaxed myself. I believe that kids have an innate ability to be at one with their parent. That is, if you’re stressed your child is stressed but if you’re relaxed your child will be relaxed. When Milly was a little baby I would often arrive home from work, pick her up and focus on my breathing. Big deep, diaphragmatic breaths take you from a sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and put you in a parasympathetic dominance (rest and digest). A few minutes of deep breathing and Milly was asleep.
7 – The best present you can get your kids is just that
Don’t be this guy.
I truly believe the best gift you can give your child is just that. Be present. By being present your head is no longer filled with past scenarios or what might be in the future. You are engaged into the movement of the now. I think it’s all too easy for dads to get caught up in business, deals, making money, the monkey mind, rushing around and other stuff that they forget to be present with their kids. Put your phone away and join in the fun and connect with your child on a deeper level.
Remember when you’re on your deathbed you’re not going to be asking the nurse for the keys to your Ferrari, you’re going to be asking to see your kids and family. Perspective
That’s it for today
Paul “the baby whisperer” and Krystie “eat your veggies” Miller
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