For a long time health was mainly an adult issue. Adults were the ones who needed to give their diet special attention. Adults were the ones who had to find time for exercise. Adults were the ones who suffered from stress. Kids, on the other hand, lived carefree active lives, running around the neighborhood playing with their friends.

No more. As kids become more sedentary and obese, and as they come under more stress to succeed in academics and extracurricular activities, healthy living becomes a whole family issue.

Exercise as a Family

Gyms are becoming family friendly. When shopping for a gym, make sure to look for one that welcomes children. Some might require parental supervision for children under a certain age, but that should not be a deterrent. Instead, it gives parents a chance to mentor good exercise habits and to make sure their children are using proper techniques.

A lot of children are involved in organized sports, but the kids might not be getting as much exercise as parents think. Youth sports involve a lot of sitting or standing around, as opposed to exercising. Parents should encourage their children to spend more time outdoors playing. Together families can do things like ride bikes or walk, rather than drive, put up a volleyball net in the backyard and have regular matches, or have a family day at the park.

Eat as a Family

Kids do not eat well. Even schools are offering less-than-nutritious lunches. Parents can improve the diet of the whole family by keeping only healthy snacks around the house. An occasional bad snack is not a problem, but kids (and adults) have plenty of opportunity to have junk food other places, so the home should be a sanctuary from junk food.

Eating as many meals together as possible achieves two goals. First, it means parents can be sure everyone in the family is having healthy foods. Second, meal time is a good time for families to connect. The more families can communicate, the less chance there will be secrets hiding harmful behavior.

Watch for Stress

Everybody in the family needs down time and mental health days. Parents should try to keep their work hours reasonable, and children should not be overwhelmed with too many activities. At least one day a week should be a family day if at all possible.