Three Tips for a Healthy Childhood

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What are the three most important things a child needs to be healthy? Adam Navis and Katy Blake look at giving children a healthy childhood. This is the third program in our series on Tips for Healthy Living.

Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Adam Navis.

And I’m Katy Blake. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

It is very difficult to live your best life if you are not healthy. Today’s Spotlight program is part of a series of programs about living a healthy life. The first Spotlight program was on having a healthy pregnancy. The second Spotlight program was on a healthy first year of life. Today’s Spotlight is on three things people can do to help children to have a healthy childhood.

Being a parent takes a lot of work. But there are ways to help you raise a healthy and happy child. These three things are taking care of the physical body, caring for the mind, and having healthy relationships with other people.

The first way to have a healthy childhood is to take care of the physical body. If a child lives in a dangerous situation, they cannot have a healthy life. Parents cannot stop all hurt and harm. Children often get hurt playing hard or falling down. This is one of the ways children learn about what is safe and what is not. But parents should work to keep children as safe as possible. Parents need to be careful around water, especially with young children. Other concerns are fire, guns, and knives. Children like to explore. But they should not explore things that could lead to injury or death.

Parents should also take children for regular medical tests. Doctors examine if children are growing. Doctors also give vaccines. Vaccines are medicines given to children before they get sick. They are tested and safe. Sometimes vaccines can seem frightening. However, according to the United States Center for Disease Control website:

“Vaccines during childhood are very important. That is because they help protect children before they are exposed to life-threatening diseases. Vaccines are tested to make sure that they are safe and effective for children to receive at the right ages.”

The last part of caring for a child’s physical body is making sure the child is eating good food and getting enough exercise. A report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, says:

“Children ages three through five should be encouraged to move and be active. They should do things such as throwing games and bicycle or tricycle riding. To strengthen bones, young children should hop, skip, jump, and roll around. A target may be three hours each day. This can be all kinds of exercises: light, moderate, or fast. Children ages six through 17 years can achieve most health benefits by doing moderate and fast physical activity for periods of time that add up to 60 minutes or more each day.”

Remember that most children learn by watching what adults do. If adults are eating good food and exercising, children will also want to do these things. And if adults around them smoke cigarettes, or drink alcohol, children may do that. If adults spend hours looking at a phone, then children will want to do that too. Parents need to teach with their words. But they also need to show children with their actions.

Physical bodies are important. But adults must also take care of children’s minds. Children are learning all the time. And they start learning even before they are in school. Even babies learn to see faces, shapes, and different colors. Young children learn about what things feel like, what different foods taste like, and how to move and walk.

When children are old enough, they should attend school. It is not enough that some children get an education. A good education is important for all boys and girls. And education is important for the future of the whole world. Jessie Woolley-Wilson is the CEO of Dreambox. Dreambox is an online mathematics teaching program. She wrote for Fast Company magazine.

“Our shared future depends on every child receiving a quality education. They will need to be ready to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. It does not matter their sex, race, or where they live.”

The third thing people can do to create a healthy childhood is to take care of a child’s heart. That is, children need good relationships with other people. It is also important that a child feels emotionally connected to a community of people. Jason Williams is the Director of Quality and Safety at the Children’s Hospital Colorado. He wrote about connecting with children on the hospital’s website:

“Anything can connect with children. You can go on a bike ride, walk the dog, talk in the car, or let them help you shop. Any time you spend around your children can be a chance for connection. It does not have to be complex. With a baby, it could be as simple as 30 seconds of play or touching her toes. With older kids, it can just be taking time to stop and look at something your child is interested in. You can comment on it and see the world through her eyes. It could be playing a game — even a video game. Or it could be having a teenager show you what he is posting on Instagram. The important thing is to get on their level, be in their world.”

Life is not easy for parents or children. Some parents cannot create a healthy space for their children, even if they want to. They do not have enough money or experience. They may not be able to get good medical care. They may not be able to send their child to the best school. Yet all parents can offer love and connection to their children. And love and connection are two of the most important things people can give to children.

What else do you think helps a child live a healthy life? What stops a person from living a healthy life? Tell us what you think. You can leave a comment on our website. Or email us at contact@spotlightenglish.net. You can also comment on Facebook at Facebook.com/spotlightradio. Subscribe to our channel on YouTube at youtube.com/spotlightenglish1.

The writer of this program was Adam Navis. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.spotlightenglish.com. This program is called, ‘Three Tips for a Healthy Childhood’.

Visit our website to download our free official app for Android and Apple devices. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

Question:

What is the best way to be healthy as a young child? Were you a healthy child?