Healthy Highlights
Nourish to Flourish: Building Lifelong Healthy Eating Habits
As parents, we want the best for our children. However, when we think about healthy eating, and what that really means, we might feel overwhelmed because conflicting advice, picky eaters, busy schedules, and easy access to convenience foods are abundant. The good news? You and your family can develop and maintain healthy eating habits, and…
Navigating AI as a Parent: How to Support Your Child’s Digital Well-being
Artificial intelligence (AI) is used ubiquitously today—from helping children complete their homework, to curating social media feeds, to suggesting what individuals should watch next on television. While AI can be a useful tool, have you ever wondered how it might influence your thoughts or feelings? More importantly, have you considered how being exposed to and…
Finding Credible Information
Parents make multiple daily decisions that impact themselves and their family members. As a parent, you will likely want to use sound judgment and consider relevant and up-to-date information as you make positive and meaningful decisions for your family. However, the amount of information that is available through websites and digital media platforms – on…
The Benefits of Positive Sleep Behaviors
Getting a suitable amount of sleep is an important part of everyone’s health. When you ensure your child is getting enough sleep, you are helping them to potentially better regulate their behaviors and emotions (Dadzie et al., 2024). Sleep-related behaviors, or actions and activities involved around sleep, can promote or inhibit sleep health (Meltzer et…
Monitoring Children’s Social-Media Use
For adults and children, interacting with some form of social media has become a daily part of life. Therefore, parents need to stay well informed in order to ensure online safety for their children as they use social media and technology. Understanding how technology works, implementing safety features, and staying informed about and even getting…
Sweeten Their Future, Not Their Drinks
When considering a healthy diet for children, we often think about the food they eat, but we also need to think about the beverages they drink. While we may focus on food when planning a healthy diet, understanding that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), such as sodas and fruit juices, can significantly impact a child’s health and…
Mental Health: Important for Parents and Children
In 1992, the World Federation for Mental Health established the first World Mental Health Day, which continues today and is held annually on October 10th (WMHD, 2024). On this day, various organizations, governments, and individuals work together to increase awareness of the mental health challenges people around the globe face each day and to create…
Fitness Personalities of Children–Aligning Parental Expectations
Engaging in regular physical activity is important for the health and well-being of children and aids in their cognitive and social-emotional development (Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment et al., 2013). Encouraging children to be active at an early age can help them establish and build a foundation that could…
Helping your Teen Navigate Social Media
Social media can enhance connections and impact relationships and experiences for the individuals who use it. Though many age groups use social media, the Pew Research Center (2024) has found that nearly 9 in 10 teens used at least one form of social media. It was also found that around 60% of teens this age…
When Should You Get Your Child a Cell Phone?
Determining when to buy your child their first cell phone may be a challenging decision for parents today. With so many factors to consider—from safety and social pressures to your child’s maturity level and the potential risks of technology—you may feel overwhelmed. To help guide you in making your decision, you may want to consider…