5 Healthy Habits that improve Kids’ Mental and Emotional Health
What if I told you the way a child feels every day can influence how they participate at daycare and at home?
It’s true. The science is overwhelming. The happier we feel the more positively we perceive the world around us. This is why it’s important children learn habits which support their mental and emotional health. This way they can be excited and engaged in their Early Childhood Education.
Helping them to succeed now and in the future. But you might be wondering- “Which healthy habits are most effective for kids at Preschool?”
The good news is: I’ve picked our top five healthy habits, which can help support your child’s wellbeing.
1- Food- Fuel the brain. The importance of a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner can’t be stressed enough. When our kids follow good eating habits, they’re able to focus and enjoy the full day at preschool. Yet when children have big gaps in their eating schedule, they can become moody and even irritable. And this can make learning at preschool harder.
Encouraging kids to eat natural foods at regular intervals keeps them energised, feeling great, and shows them how to best take care of themselves.
2- Regular Physical Activity- Have you ever taken a brisk walk only to feel more relaxed afterwards? The truth is, exercise helps to settle a busy mind. Kids who spend too much of their day sitting are also at risk for a number of health problems. Instead, giving your child an opportunity to run around, play sports and engage in activities can release brain chemicals that fight stress and brighten their day.
Many studies have found those who exercise have higher levels of happiness. And kids who are active are generally better at managing their emotions. This is why daily physical activity and movement are a core part of how children learn at our Early Learning Centre.
Read This- How to Boost Your Child’s Brain Development and Learning
3- Encourage Friendship- When your child makes new friends at preschool they form a newfound sense of belonging. And this sense of belonging can improve their overall performance, how they feel about coming to their Childcare Centre Avondale, and their quality of life. When children have strong positive relationships, this tends to lead to a positive performance in other areas.
Therefore friendship is absolutely essential to developing effective coping mechanisms. One of the core focuses of the learning through play model we use in our Early Learning Centre is to encourage children to form friendships with their peers.
4- Create A Routine- If your child doesn’t already have a daily routine, this can be a game-changer for their emotional health. Because a daily routine creates a sense of purpose, reduces stress, and guarantees the same healthy habits are repeated daily. It’s good to have breakfast time, sleeping time, and even a time for homework when kids are older. Our childcare center has a daily schedule. As we know this helps children to feel organised and safe throughout their day.
The schedule you set can be focused on important healthy habits.
5- Having Positive Role Models- This might sound surprising. But the best way to help your child learn healthy habits is by practising them yourself. Whether you’re wanting them to put away devices before sleep, eat more vegetables or to get active each day. The truth is, your child will have a lot more fun if you’re involved. In fact, they’re more likely to pick up these habits by naturally following your lead.
This is one of the reasons our staff at Grace Christian Preschool actively role-model positive habits to help guide children in their early childhood education. Because we all want to see our children grow up happy and healthy. And this starts by encouraging these healthy habits in the home and at daycare.
In fact when parents, teachers and children are involved. We all benefit from the fun caring relationships created in our community!
