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Healthy Habits for Kids

Topic Overview

Habits are hard to break. That's why the sooner in life we build good, healthy habits, the easier it is to keep them and stay as healthy as possible. And when good habits are in place, it's easier to resist bad ones.

Your child's habits start with you

The most important thing to remember is that you are your child's role model. Your habits affect your children's habits.

If your habits are unhealthy—smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or always expecting the worst, for example—your child is more likely to get those habits.

If your habits are healthy—eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, looking forward to tomorrow, for example—your children are more likely to build those habits in their own lives.

What follows is help and advice for building good, lifelong habits in four areas:

Healthy eating.
Regular physical activity.
Staying safe and healthy.
Healthy thinking.

Healthy eating

Healthy eating links
Get the facts:	Healthy Eating for Children
Take action:	Healthy Eating: Helping Your Child Learn Healthy Eating Habits Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Shop Quick Tips: Making Fast, Healthy Meals Quick Tips: Healthy Eating on a Budget Quick Tips: Adding Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet Quick Tips: Making Healthy Snacks
More healthy habit information:	Healthy Habits and Nutrition in Children Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Eat Out Healthy Eating in Children: Things That Influence Food Choices Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change

Regular physical activity

Physical activity links
Get the facts:	Physical Activity for Children and Teens Helping Children With Disabilities Stay Active
Take action:	Fitness: Teaching Your Child to Stay Active Quick Tips: Getting Active As a Family Quick Tips: Getting in Shape Without Spending Money Quick Tips: Fitting Physical Activity Into Your Day Quick Tips: Getting Active at Home
More healthy habit information:	Fitness: Adding More Activity to Your Life Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children Fitness: Walking for Wellness Fitness: Choosing Activities That Are Right for You Quick Tips: Staying Active in Hot Weather Quick Tips: Staying Active in Cold Weather Exercise and Physical Activity Ideas

Staying safe and healthy

Health and safety links
Get the facts:	Health and Safety, Birth to 2 Years Health and Safety, Ages 2 to 5 Years
Take action:	Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy Protect Your Child From Infections Take Your Child to Routine Doctor Visits Sleep: Helping Your Children—and Yourself—Sleep Well Quick Tips: Using Backpacks Safely Talking With Your Child About Sex
More healthy habit information:	Health Protecting Your Child’s Skin From Sun Child Safety: Air Pollution Basic Dental Care Handwashing Teenage Sleep Patterns Practicing Safe Sex to Prevent Disease Safety Child Safety: Pets Child Safety: Preventing Drowning Child Safety: Streets and Cars Child Safety: Preventing Child Abduction Teen Relationship Abuse

Healthy thinking

Healthy thinking links
Get the facts:	Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
Take action:	Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress Help Your School-Age Child Develop Social Skills Building a Healthy Body Image Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
More healthy habit information:	Think positive: Strengthening Your School-Age Child’s Self-Esteem Recognizing and Developing Your Children’s Special Talents Positive Thinking With Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Helping Your School-Age Child Learn About the Body Tips for Parents of Teens Manage stress: Stress in Children and Teens Stress Management: Managing Your Time Prevent bullying: Bullying: Signs a Child Is Bullied Bullying: Building a Child's Self-Esteem Bullying: How to Help Your Child Who Bullies

Health Tools

Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.


	Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition.
	Fitness: Adding More Activity to Your Life
	Fitness: Choosing Activities That Are Right for You
	Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children
	Fitness: Teaching Your Child to Stay Active
	Fitness: Walking for Wellness
	Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
	Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats From Your Diet
	Healthy Eating: Helping Your Child Learn Healthy Eating Habits
	Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Eat Out
	Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Shop
	Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change
	Sleep: Helping Your Children—and Yourself—Sleep Well
	Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
	Stress Management: Managing Your Time

Other Places To Get Help

Organizations

Canadian Paediatric Society: Caring for Kids
2305 Saint Laurent Boulevard
Ottawa, ON K1G 4J8
Phone:	(613) 526-9397
Fax:	(613) 526-3322
Email:	info@cps.ca
Web Address:	www.caringforkids.cps.ca

The Caring for Kids website was developed by the Canadian Paediatric Society and provides parents with information about child health and well-being.

Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development
3050, Édouard-Montpetit Boulevard
Suite A-205
Montreal, QC H3T 1J7
Phone:	(514) 343-6111 ext. 2541
Fax:	(514) 343-6962
Email:	cedje-ceecd@umontreal.ca
Web Address:	www.child-encyclopedia.com/en-ca/home.html

The Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development is produced by the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development. It provides articles for parents and other care givers on the development of young children, from before birth to the age of five.

Health Canada: Healthy Living
Web Address:	www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/index-eng.php

Health Canada's webpage on healthy living provides information to help you make informed choices about your health in areas such as healthy eating, physical activity, pregnancy, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health. You'll also find information intended for specific groups, such as children, women, and seniors, and for specific areas of interest, including travel, injury prevention, and substance use.

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): Healthy Living
Phone:	Telephone numbers for PHAC vary by region. For your regional number, go to the listing on the PHAC website at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/contac-eng.php.
Web Address:	www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/index-eng.php

The Public Health Agency of Canada's Healthy Living webpage provides information and resources about healthy eating, physical activity, and staying at a healthy weight.

Related Information

References

Other Works Consulted

Ertem IO (2011). Child development. In CD Rudolph et al., eds., Rudolph’s Pediatrics, 22nd ed., pp. 34–42. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kelly S, et al. (2011). Correlates among healthy lifestyle cognitive beliefs, healthy lifestyle choices, social support, and healthy behaviors in adolescents: Implications for behavioral change strategies and future research. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 25(4): 216–223.

Credits

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics
Primary Medical Reviewer	Brian D. O'Brien, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Catherine D. Serio, PhD - Behavioral Health
Last Revised	January 17, 2012

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Last Revised: January 17, 2012

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics & Brian D. O'Brien, MD - Internal Medicine & Catherine D. Serio, PhD - Behavioral Health

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