Tips for Keeping Your Kids Healthy and Safe During High School
When your children are little, keeping them safe and healthy can be pretty easy. But once they get older and enter into the world of high school, things can get a lot more difficult.
Regardless of their age, keeping your kids safe and healthy is likely one of your main priorities. Even if they’re constantly busy with after-school activities and other plans, there are still ways to make sure they’re living a happy life. According to Very Well Family, keeping your family’s immune system in good shape is the key to making sure that everyone is avoiding illnesses. To do this, make sure they get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy diet.
Nationally, the childhood obesity rate sits at 18.5%. To combat your child’s extreme weight gain, you can cook for them. Require that your family sits down for dinner together at least twice a week. You can take this as an opportunity to not only find out what is going on in your child’s life, but make sure they’re getting the proper nutrition. Cooking plenty of vegetables, serving fruits, and loading them up with protein will keep them growing both mentally and physically.
No matter how annoyed they may get with you, remind them to always wash their hands. According to the Mayo Clinic, they should be doing this before eating, after using the restroom, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose. It may not seem important to them, but it can be the determining factor between them staying healthy or getting sick.
As they get older they’re going to be tempted with alcohol. Many high schoolers will host parties while their parents are out of town. These parties usually have beer and other drinks. Teach your kids the importance of waiting to drink until they’re legal. But if they do, encourage them to give up their keys instead of drinking and driving.
Prom night is one of the biggest nights of a high schooler’s life. But much like any other social gathering they may attending, Prom pre and after parties may have alcohol present. Let your kids know that they can always call you if they need a ride home, and remind them that you won’t be mad that they drank. Some teens fear what their parents might think of their Prom night decisions, so they choose to drink and drive to avoid the wrath of mom and dad. But in 2005, 376 teens died in an alcohol-related crash on Prom night. Angry parents are a lot easier to deal with than jail time or a mark on your driving record.
Along with them staying safe and healthy physically, keeping track of their mental health is important. According to Forbes, the question on many parent’s minds is, “Should I allow my child to take a mental health day off from school?” Well if your child was sick, you wouldn’t think twice about sending them into class for the day. But unfortunately, it can be harder to decipher if your child is going through something mentally and needs a break.
Pay attention to the signs: If your child is sleeping too much or if they don’t seem themselves, sit them down and ask them what’s going on. Going to school could overwhelm them if they’re going through something mentally. So keeping them home for a day might be the best option.
As your children get older it may be harder to keep tabs on them 24/7. But by cooking them healthy meals, making sure they don’t drink and drive, and reminding them to wash their hands are easy ways to ensure they’re healthy and safety.