Children are like sponges. They observe everything that happens around them. At young ages, their environment serves as a magical world awaiting their exploration. Parents help to shape that world by providing guidance, setting boundaries, and interjecting answers to their many questions. Like a sponge, their eager minds are ready to soak up all incoming knowledge.
I’ve long wondered if children also learn behaviors from their parents. Now I won’t pretend to be a psychology master, nor do I have a lot of experience in the subject. But this is an interesting topic to consider. One such behavior is the trend towards a healthy lifestyle. This view of healthy habits can be learned by simply watching their parents. They may also learn by what is permitted in the household.
Growing up, I would consider our family to be very health conscious. My mother was a fitness instructor as well as a daycare director at the fitness center. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time at the gym. Every summer, we had to do one recreational sport in order to stay active. Sometimes we played indoor soccer or took swim classes. Other times we engaged in track and field. Since my mom worked for the fitness center, we were able to participate in these activities at a lower cost (definitely a big deal to a mom of three girls). As a child, I remember having fun and looking forward to our time at the fitness center.
Fast forward to teenage and young adult years, I continue to practice an active lifestyle. I played sports all throughout middle and high school. In college, I utilized the free rec center a minimum of three days a week. I even ran through our neighborhood on days that I couldn’t make it to the gym. Exercising had become second nature. It was something that I had come to enjoy.
Equally, the reverse can be found to be true. Children can learn bad habits about health from their parents. Don’t be a couch potato or junk foodie. Instead, teach them the importance of exercise and go out for a walk. There are fun ways to incorporate activities with your kids. Quite frankly, they’ll like just spending time with mom and dad. Also, teach them how to eat by feeding them nutritious foods. Make fast food a treat instead of a routine evening meal. Introduce them to new foods. Poor nutrition and exercise choice can lead to unhealthy lifestyles. Habits are learned behaviors and not easily broken as we age. Let’s help our kids by starting them out early on. Teach them which way to go.
Scripture References:
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
I Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself…”
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