4 Tips To Keep Your Child Happy and Healthy

Having a child with health issues is terrifying. We raise them from tiny babies and our hopes for them are that they grow from there. We want our kids to become larger than life as they go out into the world. Because of that, any health hiccups can cause us to be more afraid than we ever thought possible. None of us want to see our kids grow weak. None of use want to see them revert back to those little defenseless beings they were at birth. A child is supposed to grow stronger not weaker.

Our jobs as parents are to help them along. As they get older and get wiser they can be in charge of their bodies, habits, and lives. Until then, we’ve got to make sure they’re making smart actions to keep their health in tact. But where do we start? Here are 4 tips on how to keep your child happy and healthy.

1. Healthy Foods
   In addition to the fact that eating healthy foods allows our children the nutrients needed to grow big and strong, doing so also prevents illnesses and health issues. Eating healthy foods can even reduce the chance of certain health issues from happening. For instance, children who eat healthier foods are less likely to have cavities. Also, conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer have all been proven to be connected to the things we eat. Ensuring that your child is eating healthy can not only help them out in the current moment, but is an action that protects them well into their adult years.
2. Regular Doctor Visits
   It is also important to keep a watchful eye on your child. Is he or she feeling well? Are there signs of an incoming cold or worse? If you fear that you’re not experienced enough to catch these signs that’s ok. That’s what your local doctor is for. To that effect, make sure to always register for regular doctor visits.
   
   For instance, if your local doctor is able to notice the signs of a possible vocal cord paralysis, she may be able to prescribe medication or treatment before vocal cord surgery is necessary. Or, perhaps your child is showing signs of hearing loss. 83% of children under three will have an ear infection at some point. Once you notice the signs of hearing loss, you can take your child to a doctor who can help treat the potential threat to your baby’s hearing.
3. Keep Clean Habits
   It’s also important that your child maintains clean habits. For instance, it’s good that your child covers any coughs and/or sneezes. This is to prevent the sharing of illnesses with those around him or her. Make sure to teach your child the habit of covering these actions. In regards to sharing, you also don’t want your child to share any foods or drink. While it’s good that your child have polite manners, sharing anything that will go in his or her mouth is a big no no when it comes to proper health. These are just two of the many cleaning habits that your baby boy or girl can learn to stay healthy.
4. Open Communication
   Next, make sure to keep open communication with your child. Make sure that he or she can feel comfortable coming to you when there’s any health issue. Remember though, the sharing is a two way street. If you have any concerns about your child’s health make sure to ask him or her if there are any issues. Also, keep the communication open with your pediatric physician. If you have any health issues that are genetic, make sure that your doctor knows so that you both can look out for symptoms and signs. For instance, 50 to 60% of children have hearing loss because of genetic reasons. Knowing this and being open about it can help your child in the long run.

Whether your child has sinus infections, hearing loss, or sleep disordered breathing, seeing your child sick is a terrible thing. That said, if you are preemptive with the tips provide above, you can insure a safe, happy, and healthy child at home.