How to Encourage Three Healthy Aspects in Your Children as a Single Parent

As a single parent, you may be wondering how you can encourage healthy habits and behaviors in your children. You are not alone.

I think it may be because of a recent breast cancer diagnosis, but now I am hyper-sensitive to health issues with my kids.

I know that as a single mom, I have let things slide. It’s hard to be responsible for every area of a child’s life without support.

Sometimes, I have just ignored poor health behaviors. But I’m questioning my decision on this.

Most single parents have gone through a lot of trauma, and it is all they can do to keep their heads above water.

After a while, life calms down. Court cases are over, and life becomes more manageable. It’s during this time that we, as single parents, can review what we want for our children.

As parents, we need to address three aspects of health in ourselves and our children.

We need to address health as a whole-person issue. Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional.

To encourage healthy habits in your child, address these three aspects. They all affect the health and well-being of your child.

If one were to address just one of these aspects, the person would still be out of balance. It’s like a three-legged stool.

We need to address the whole child. Addressing the whole child is what will bring stability and health to your child.

Please note: All specific health concerns should be addressed with your healthcare provider.

Let’s learn together!

The first health aspect is the spiritual part of their lives.

I’ve often heard that each person has a God sized hole in their lives and that if they do not fill it with God, they will try to fill it with something else.

We humans are spiritual beings. We want to know this God that created us.

Teach your children about the God of the Bible, who loves them and wants the best for them.

I wrote an earlier post on this subject, and you may find it helpful.

https://www.singlemomoutwest.com/leaving-a-legacy-of-faith/

If we do not take the time to teach our children the truth about who God is and how he is the greatest part of our lives, someone else will.

And their version of God may not be an accurate view.

The second aspect is the emotional part of your children’s lives.

You cannot ignore this part and have healthy children.

The more I learn about health, the more I learn that our daily emotional state has a direct correlation to our physical health.

We cannot live under constant stress and anxiety and be healthy people.

Our stress levels and emotions directly affect our health.

There is an excellent article from Focus On The Family regarding stress in children. You may find this helpful.

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/how-to-handle-stress-in-your-children/

As single parents, our moods and emotions have a direct correlation to our children’s emotional health. We need to be healthy as well.

If you need to work through your own emotions, you may want to consider finding a licensed Christian counselor. Here is a link to help you find one in your area. https://www.christiancounselordirectory.com/

The third aspect is physical health.

I want to give my children the foundation for good physical health. But lately, I’ve noticed they often take their big bag of chips and binge on their electronics.

To say the least, I’m concerned. And I’m wondering what I can do about this!

After addressing the spiritual and emotional health, we can break down physical health into three areas.

Treat food as medicine.

Good quality water and lots of it are essential to our health. Water flushes our bodies of impurities and toxins.

Next, we can focus on putting quality food on the table and in our houses.

Our world is full of man-made food. These foods are full of chemicals and unhealthy ingredients. But they’re easy, so in the cart they go.

Many of them have additives in them that are purposefully addictive.

In previous generations, people ate food that came straight from the earth, and we cooked it ourselves.

We knew what was in our food, and we were in control of it.

To regain health, we must intentionally improve the quality of our food.

I am learning so much from the Biblical Nutritionist on YouTube! She can guide you in healthy food options.

Physical exercise is vital.

According to the CDC, children ages 6-17 should have at least one hour of physical activity per day. Here is a link to that information.

https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/children.html

An evening walk or a sporting program is a great place to start.

Teach your children that physical activity is fun and healthy!

The third greatest physical health aspect is sleep.

Quality sleep heals the mind and regenerates the body.

In our world of go, go, go, sleep can be in short supply. But our bodies desperately need it!

Creating a sleep routine and schedule is vital for your children.

It may take time and patience to put this into practice, but it will be precisely what your children need to be healthy!

Teach your children the three aspects of health.

Passing this information on to your children will ensure their health for the future.

Having these kinds of discussions will teach them how to navigate and protect their health.

Our goal here is not to cause fear, self-consciousness, guilt, or any other negative emotion, but to teach them how to be responsible for their health.

Prayers for your journey,

Lacey