Homeschooling dairy : promoting a healthy eating habit at homes

Hi friends,
I bring you greetings today from me and my baby girls, I believe you are doing just find, I know its a new year, many are still trying to navigate their way fully into the new year, its amazing that we are already in a new month, just as if its a day, the weeks are flying as if someone is pursuing them but trust me, you will meet up with time.

In our homeschool dairy today, we will be sharing on the necessity to promote a healthy eating habit at home.

last year, during the festive period, we had some opportunity of visiting event centers with our both my college and home school kids, We also did meet kids who came in with their parents and guidance, it was an awesome timeout with the kids, some of them had never in their existence been privileged to visit such places but because we had promised them that we will do so, We trusted God for funs and it was made available.

I was careful to observe that the kids were so excited to be there, especially the opportunity to meet with other kids from other backgrounds, schools and communities, in that exciteful moment it was very easy for them to freely express themselves, I knew that will happen so i allowed them to freely mingle with the other kids, share stuffs together and got to know each other, so i discovered that they do have a very unhealthy eating habit, so i noted it down for this years dairy.

My few Observations

• Grabbing food in the mouth and talking at the same time
• Willingness to eat any thing that was available
• uncontrolled appetite
• Very bad table manners
• not even knowing what to or what not to eat

I did so much to try in helping the kids do better but it was a hard thing to do as at that material time, because the habit had not been inculcated in them from, we know that because of the busy schedules of parents and guidance and even the hectic nature of the family schedules, it so makes it easy to go grab any available food for the kids at the restaurant, not minding the nutritional value of the food, we give to our kids. I am going to put together a few things that can help build a healthy eating habit at our homes.

Have regular family meals.
Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
Be a role model by eating healthy yourself.
Avoid battles over food.
Involve kids in the process.

Effective Family Meals

This i do believe will be of great help, because when kids are eating with their elderly once, there is always an opportunity to be be corrected or advised, when there is a bad eating habit,
Family meals, for me are like ritual that affects both parents and kids. the Children will get to ask funny questions like why are we always eating this type of meal at so so time, why not this?, its also a time for parents to actually catch up with their kids.

Kids who frequently take part in regular family meals are likely to eat more of fruits, vegetables, and grains, while the non-regular once will constantly do snacks and other unhealthy food.

At family meals, it is easy for parents to explain to kids or more so introduce to them, the need for certain kind of food and the need for healthy eating. this will be a very difficult thing to do when the child is grown, at teens it will be a struggle, because there will some measures of engagement but still they do really need that parental advice and counsel.

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Stocking up of Healthy Foods
Kids basically start eating from home, so what ever habit you see in them , all started from home. when there is availability of healthy food stocked at home, it will make them get use to that and in a way will build up a structure for them
Kids, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what's available at home. That's why it's important to control the supply lines — the foods that you serve for meals and have on hand for snacks.

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Be the best teacher by example (Role Model)

By the divine plan of God from creation parents are the first teacher to the kids God have bless us with, its important to not that while you are doing anything, without saying it the kids are watching, when you yourself is encouraging a healthy eating habit, it will be easier for the kids to follow suit, remember that what ever you are doing is sending a message to the kids.

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Make the kids part of the food making process

Last year wile we engaging our kids during the culinary skills experience, we saw how interesting it was for the kids, It is very important that they also do know the process of making a particular meal, like in our locality, it is very hard to prepare our own native diet, so it will be amazing to let them go through it with you or anyone that is doing or preparing the meal, this in a way build the child's confidence. the will also be proud of the parents and guidance, at home and away.

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This is what we have today on our homeschooling dairy, i hope you will find it useful for yourself and even the kids, thanks for having me,@ekotmordemy, we will be glad to have your kind response and support, till we meet again on our next dairy, a big thank you to all active member of the #homeedders community and the admin, for making this community a healthy place to be.