Help Your Kids Stay Well During the Holidays: A Guide for Families
The holiday season is brimming with excitement, indulgence, and opportunities for connection. From school parties to family get-togethers, there’s always a reason to celebrate with an abundance of food, gifts, and candy. However, the festive period can also disrupt routines, tempting kids with sugary treats and sedentary habits. With time off school and even some travel, things get off track fast. With a little focus on keeping kids healthy during the holidays, you can find balance through the holiday season. Here’s how you can do it.
Prioritize Nutrition Without Sacrificing the Fun
The holidays are often filled with indulgent foods. From cookies and pies to rich holiday meals, health isn’t always a priority during the season of joy. But you can still encourage healthier choices without missing out on the fun. For example, find cute holiday-themed recipes to make with the kids like No Bake Reindeer Bites, which is packed with oats and peanut butter for a healthier snack option. Encourage kids to incorporate plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables to balance out those heavier holiday dishes.
Keep in mind that it’s also a great time to practice moderation, not restriction. It’s okay for you and your kids to enjoy seasonal treats in moderation. Be sure to practice portion control. For example, share desserts or save leftovers for later. And don’t forget to stay hydrated. Drinking water throughout the day can help you and your kids prevent yourselves from overeating.
Stay Active as a Family
Keeping kids healthy during the holidays can be easy if you plan ways to stay active over your holiday break. Hunt down some holiday-themed exercises like a Christmas Clothespin Obstacle Course. You can always take advantage of the weather, too, by building a snowman or sledding if you get a bit of snow over your break. And if there’s an ice skating rink nearby, that’s a great way to take advantage of the cold and have fast fun indoors.
If you’re looking for other great ways to stay active, look for a holiday fun run or take a post-dinner family walk. Post-dinner walks are a great way to start including exercise as a part of your family’s regular routine. Even 10-minute bursts of physical activity can help maintain energy, help with digestion, and regulate your mood, so encourage even the simplest exercises after a big holiday meal.
Stick to Sleep Routines
One of the first things to go when the holidays hit is often sleep routines. When visits with friends and family begin, so do late-night and all-day celebrations. While it can be hard to ensure kids get the rest they need, it’s critical to keep consistent bedtimes to help them regulate their energy. Rest also ensures kids can avoid holiday meltdowns.
Focus keeping kids healthy during the holidays by creating calm moments throughout the holiday. Balance the holiday excitement with a bit of quiet family time to prioritize your child’s well-being. Think about helping your child stay regulated in noisy or bright situations by bringing earplugs or noise-canceling headphones. Make sure you prioritize connection with your child to help them through the season with ease.
Minimize Stress for Everyone
As you work on ways to keep everyone healthy this holiday season, it’s a great idea to minimize stress by putting intention behind quiet activities. As things get busy, make sure you alternate those moments with activities like reading holiday stories or baking together. Set your kids up for success by creating holiday traditions like making gifts or cooking that gives your family a sense of familiar ritual.
And as you are working on your plans for the holidays, be sure to involve your kids in the planning. Let them pick a meal or two. Allow them to weigh in on the activities. Giving them those options can help them feel included and invested in making good, healthy choices for the entire family.
Model Healthy Behaviors
Sometimes keeping kids healthy during the holidays is as simple as modeling healthy behaviors they see. After all, children emulate what they see from the people they love. That means you should eat nutritious meals, stay active, and practice mindful holiday indulgence to set an example for them.
When kids see the adults they love prioritizing their health during a stressful time of the year, it’s a good reminder of how they should act, too. Talk about why you’re doing things that are healthy so they understand the importance of their wellbeing. It will go a long way toward helping them understand why they should take care of themselves during the holidays, too.
Prioritize an Education that Helps Them Grow
As you remain concerned about keeping your kids living well during the holidays, you should consider giving your kids an excellent education, too. PALS Praise & Leadership Schools provides an outstanding educational foundation that lasts a lifetime. Our curriculum is built to help your child flourish from now and into adulthood. It instills confidence while building their self-esteem, skills, and moral character. And we teach each child to think, reason, be responsible, achieve, excel, and communicate.
Discover what PALS Praise & Leadership Schools has to offer by visiting our two campuses in Peoria IL. Our North Peoria campus, located at 2327 W Willow Knolls Rd, can be reached at 309-691-4326. Downtown, you’ll find us at 700 NE Greenleaf, where you can call 309-674-2938. Schedule a tour today and see how PALS is dedicated to helping your child thrive and grow in a nurturing, inspiring environment.
