Everyday Habits: How to Make Health a Priority Within the Family

From a young age, we’re encouraged to foster good habits. We’re told having healthy habits is key to looking after ourselves, which is true for the most part. Good habits that concern our health—our physical, mental, and emotional health—are proven to make our lives better. 

Anyone with a Master of Public Health will tell you that health promotion is important from even a young age, and parents can play a significant role in it. But fostering good habits is often easier said than done—especially when trying to create them for an entire family. But it can be done. Together, let’s explore ways to make health a priority within your family.

Cooking together: why too many chefs is a good thing

Not everyone loves cooking, and that’s fine. But you may find cooking together as a family to be a more enjoyable experience. Cooking at home is a brilliant habit to foster. It makes you really think about the food you’re consuming and allows you to prioritise using fresh, organic ingredients, free from the excess salt, sugar, and preservatives you get with Uber Eats.

Start simple, start familiar

Cooking is one of life’s great humblers. Approach it with false bravado, and you’ll soon learn your place. Taking on an elaborate three-course meal for your first attempt at cooking together will only cause tension, especially if some family members are reluctant to participate. 

 

Keep things simple—we can’t stress this enough—and keep things familiar. Choose one night a week to cook together. Choose a meal you eat together often, a meal you all enjoy. That way, the kids can take charge of taco night, and you can kick back with a spicy margarita. 

Rotate duties

An efficient kitchen runs like a clock. Each worker excels at a single task, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Your kitchen can be the same. But only if you delegate responsibility. 

 

Younger family members will feel compelled to do everything, to hell with order and cleanliness. Hold firm. Make each family member responsible for a certain task. Chopping the veggies. Stirring the risotto. Presentation. The biggest challenge here is getting everyone to accept their responsibility.

 

Remember to rotate the duties. It gives everyone a feel for the process. Suppose Little Miss Seven proves a deft hand at filleting fish. Wonderful. Fish’n’chip night will soon be theirs. This activity is about improving everyone’s skills in the kitchen and teaching your children (and reminding yourself) about the value of home-cooked meals for your health.   

Exercising together 

The key to getting the whole family involved in exercise? Making it as fun as possible. If the team isn’t engaged, the activity will quickly deflate. Like cooking together, exercising together is about finding a happy medium for everyone. Be diplomatic and make it a vote. If one of your kids is prone to tantrums when he doesn’t get his way, explain that next time, you’ll head to the beach; for today, you’re taking the bikes and the dog to the park. 

 

Exercising is a brilliant activity to do together because there are no rules. Cricket in the backyard, day hikes, a dance session in your living room, or even a walk. Get creative, have fun, and you’ll soon forget you’re doing something great for your health. 

Let’s talk feelings: how sharing helps caring 

The importance of sharing your thoughts and feelings can’t be stressed enough. Just like diet, exercise, and sleep, being able to express yourself and emotionally connect with others is vital to your overall well-being. The first step to developing these skills is learning to share your thoughts and feelings.

 

Before you encourage your family to do so, take a moment to reflect on how well—and how often—you express your feelings too. Reflect on your ability to actively listen to others. Ask yourself: Is our home a safe space for us to share our feelings?

 

When you make your home a place where everyone can share their thoughts and feelings without judgement, your emotional competence improves together. Set aside time before dinner or anytime when you know the family is relaxed and available. By actively listening and learning to recognise cues in behaviour, you become better at self-reflection. 

 

The list of reasons why you should encourage open-sharing is endless. Better mental health and well-being. Better resilience and coping skills. Better performances in school and career. Start talking, start listening, and watch your family blossom.   

 

  

Give sleep the attention it deserves

We all know how vital sleep is. Sleep is the charger, and we’re the smartphone; a crude analogy, but one that gets the point across. Without a decent amount of sleep, we start shutting down. This is why you need to make it a routine, free from excuses.

 

The younger members of the family will protest your routine. And they should; kids are contractually obliged to refuse their designated bedtime, no matter their age. For the very young ones, their protests will come when they’re half asleep. Meanwhile, the teenagers in your family will protest with phones, tablets, and PS5s. Limiting screen time at night is one of your best strategies for improving sleep. And that goes for you, too. Practice what you preach; it’s about momentum. A good night’s sleep has you ready for the next day.

 

That said, it can’t be health health health all the time. Life doesn’t work that way. Remember to stop by for gelato after a long bike ride together. Remember to have movie and pizza nights every once in a while, and keep things in moderation. 

~

Bad habits stitch themselves into our daily routine without notice; good habits demand attention, discipline, and persistence. Sometimes they catch on quickly, sometimes they don’t. The payoff is why you keep at it. Health should be our top priority. Why? Because it’s our most precious asset. The better you look after your health and your family’s health, the more chance you have of spending quality time together.