John L. Stump, DC, EdD, PhD

Ever wonder what your children are thinking about? They are not actually taking notes per say but, they are watching your every move from an infant. Not because they don’t trust you but, because they are doing what nature intended. Children of all species “mimic” their parents. Whether or not you mean to, experts believe how you handle your daily life teaches your children how to go about handling theirs.

Many think at first glance their health is a matter of genetics. Their kids have inherited genes that make them prone to illness or diseases. The latest research found that many children are simply imitating what their parents have been doing. Undesirable patterns have been established by a generation of adults that were lead astray from the importance of natural health.

Look at the health factor of smoking. The greatest percentage of smokers comes from the families whose parents were smokers. Consider the health factor of Alcohol consumption. If you study the statistics you will find the same conclusion when it comes to alcohol abuse. The same can be said for child abuse, as well as a number of other poor health practices.

When we see today’s obese children, don’t blame the child. The old saying, “the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree” certainly holds true here. If we look at the family history of these children you would find there was little supervision or teaching about the importance of nutrition and health. Even our schools became very lax in this regard for decades. Not emphasizing the importance of Physical Education and Health classes in our school system, even dropping them from the curriculum in some schools! What message does that send to the children?

It is never to late to correct a mistake. Begin to teach your children the basics of how to take care of their health. We had a science teacher when I was in high school, which had a saying I have adopted, “Health is Wealth and Time to enjoy them is Education.” Here are some of the tips I would like to leave with you.

BE UP FRONT. “Its really important for parents with health problems to explain the condition to your child, rather than trying to hid the problem and have the kids know that mom or dad is a closet “smoker, drinker, sugar addict, or what ever,” and they are attempting to change and manage the problem.

WALK THE WALK. Demonstrate that you are actively trying to improve the health of the whole family with your purchases of food, and personal items. If the child just hears you simply complaining and you not trying to make changes, like stop buying junk food and sodas for snacks, instead get fresh fruit, nuts and protein drinks, that’s the behavior likely to be modeled.

COMMUNICATE. Discuss what you’re trying to do to help yourself break a bad habit, or give up an addiction (sugar becomes an addiction). For example, “ Sweetheart, I know it seems hard to give up that sugared cereal but there are other good cereals to choose from that’s better for your health.”

BE AWARE. Look at the family dynamics, too. If dad is always gorging on soda, junk food, and beer, it’s hard for mom and the kids to diet and follow a good health program. Everyone in the family should work on improving at the same time. Make it a family affair!

Ultimately, it comes down to teaching your children to make the correct choices in life as early as possible. They are basically responsible for their health and well-being. Parents should be proactive at home and in school matters when it comes to your children and demand better quality food, drinks be available, and better classes in the curriculum that emphasize health and wellness activities, not just competitive sports. An emphasis on better “health” is not too much to ask for from anyone.

If there are any questions or comments concerning the above article please feel free to write the author at: bamashogun@aol.com or www.gulfcoastnewspapers.com.