I'm pretty sure everyone knows this and probably applies this mantra at home.
Getting kids to start healthy habits from a young age is important. They will gradually follow these habits throughout their lives.
These are some of the habits that are applied to Jasper and Jaime:
Brushing their teeth
Hand Hygiene
Screen time
Sleeping Routine
I follow these habits with my kids, and usually, I will explain why they must do these.
I realise by the age of 4 to 5, they are more accepting of our explanations and concepts as they start to embrace learning.
Brushing their teeth
I will always tell them to brush their teeth, once in the morning, and once at night.
Brushing our teeth has been important since young. I try to stick to it now that I have toothache issues. This is most probably due to decay.
I came across this random Instagram video by a dentist, and she mentioned that it is important to brush our teeth once we wake up in the morning. This is because the mouth becomes dry while we sleep at night, and it gives chance for plaque-causing bacteria to multiply in our mouth.
We clean this bacteria in the morning, preventing cavities from forming and attacking our teeth.
While I did not tell them to brush for 2 minutes (hard for kids to do something for long), I did tell them to brush every single tooth and tongue. Haha.
I try to floss and use mouthwash before I go to sleep.
I may educate them the same when they are older so that they know the importance of flossing their teeth too.
Hand Hygiene
I am particular with washing and keeping my hands clean when it comes to eating or touching anywhere on the face.
That is because I have sensitive skin. They will become reddish and even hurt after a while when I touch my face with dirty hands.
My kids inherit from me as well. Although it is not as bad for them, it is still vital to keep hand hygiene.
As soon as they reach home, I will prompt them to wash their hands. It has become a habit now that they will do it even without me prompting them. It is a relief to see that it has become a daily habit.
My brother told them this: Dust and dirt are everywhere, so washing hands is a must.
Even when they are going to have a meal, I will tell them to wash their hands first and keep them clean. (And I know that they are going to touch their food somehow while eating. They don't know how to use a fork yet to get the food on their spoons so they use their hands.)
And because they touch their food, I always tell them to wash again after eating, to prevent them from touching anything with their gross hands. Yucks.
Screen time
My husband and I dislike the idea of a baby or toddler watching videos on a mobile phone or a tablet while eating.
Although I get that it is an easier way of parenting, it somehow sticks to the idea of the young kid with the habit of watching a video while eating, and it will grow with them as they age.
Usually, I will tell them to eat their food at the dining table. If they wish to watch the TV, they can go watch it after they have finished their meal.
It is so hard to stick them to this habit, especially when my husband or my mum is around.
When my husband is around on a weekend morning, he often finishes his food first, goes to the living room and turns on the TV. Then my kids would follow him while holding their bread in their hands.
Or when my mum is around, she allows Jasper to play on her mobile phone while she feeds him. I abhor that behaviour, and she explains that he is only playing educational games. It is not about the games I mind, it is the habit that is cultivated when only she is around. I tell her that every time I see this, I can do nothing.
Sometimes, people would tell me if I didn't harden my resolve, I could change nothing.
Sigh.
I do stick to an hour of watching TV. After the age of 3, I believe they are entitled to some screen time. But I still implement only an hour of watching a day.
For example, Jasper wants to watch TV when he comes back from school around 5 pm. I would tell him that it is soon to be dinner and that he can watch it for an hour after his dinner.
When he exceeds an hour, I would strictly tell him to stop.
Fortunately, he is not a TV fan, so he hardly requests TV time. Jaime is not too, she only watches the TV when we turn it on.
Sleeping Routine
I try to let them sleep as early as possible when they are young.
In an article, I saw that 3-5-year-olds should get at least 10-13 hours of sleep per day.
Age group | The recommended amount of sleep |
3 to 5 years | 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours, including naps |
So let's say Jaime goes to sleep at 9.30 pm, 9 hours of sleep will be sufficient and wakes up at 6.30 am. According to her preschool teacher, she also takes half an hour to 1 hour worth of nap before lunch.
9.30 pm to 6.30 am / 7 am = 9 hours or 9.5 hour night sleep
11 am to 11.30 am / 12pm = 0.5 or 1 hour nap
That would add up to 9.5 - 10.5 hours of sleep per day.
I say it is sufficient for a kid at her age. Jasper also has around the same number of hours per day.
They both sleep either with me or with their dad.
We say 6.30 am is the earliest, because their schools are nearby, at most 10 mins walk.
Both Jasper and Jaime could get to school in an hour.
These are the few habits that I encourage parents to let their kids stick to them because they are essential in our lives!
Habits like keeping hands clean, toothbrushing, having enough sleep, and screen time control are a must to teach our children to follow!
Although it is hard to raise our kids, it is also our job to teach them what they need to learn.
You are NOT a failure if you have yet to teach them. You can always start now. It is always better than not doing anything!
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