Today’s children face a lot of health problems that earlier generations never imagined. Sedentary lifestyles and high-calorie foods have led to an obesity epidemic that has quadrupled in size over the last 30 years. Unclean air has also contributed to health concerns like asthma and allergies.
Clearly, it’s not an easy time to raise a healthy child. As a parent, though, you have the ability to shape the lives of your children. You can start by following these three tricks to keep kids healthy.
Get an Allergy Test so You Can Avoid Harmful Triggers
You need to know what foods, medications, and other products may cause allergic reactions in your children. Getting a comprehensive allergy test will reveal practically any potential problems so you can create a safe environment without irritants.
Some of the most common reactions occur from contact with nuts, eggs, tree pollen, animal dander, milk, and cigarette smoke. Even if your child is too young to get an allergy test, you should look for signs that he or she has negative reactions to any of these triggers.
Get HVAC Maintenance To Reduce Asthma Symptoms
If your child has asthma, then you need to take control of your home’s indoor air quality. Many adults don’t realize that indoor air often contains more pollutants that the air outside of their homes. If you don’t take measures to reduce the presence of triggers, then your home’s air could increase your child’s asthma symptoms.
Luckily, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Replacing your HVAC system’s filter once a month will help reduce irritants in the air. Regular dusting and vacuuming can also help. When the weather is nice, open the windows for a breath of fresh air. If your child has a serious case of asthma, though, you may want to get a whole house air purifier that connects to your HVAC system. Air purifiers can work wonders for children with asthma.
Get Them Involved In Sports
Image via Flickr by susieq3c
Children spend too much time sitting. With so many entertainment options available via the internet and gaming systems, it’s easy to see why a lot of kids want to spend their days sitting around the house. If you let them develop this unhealthy habit, though, it could last a lifetime.
Getting your kids involved in sports will help ensure that they get some physical activity. It may take some time before you find the perfect sport for your kids, but it’s worth the effort. Ideally, you can find fun indoor and outdoor sports so your children will have activities to enjoy throughout the year – even during cold winters.
If you have a hard time finding sports teams for your kids, talk to your local YMCA or community center. They may have suggestions that your children will love.
Your children’s health means more than just about anything in the world. While some health conditions are outside of your control, you can always promote a lifestyle that makes your children healthier.
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative guest post.
Great tricks! Thank you for posting this.