RESOURCE FOR PARENTS:
Four Questions to Ask
Ask these questions when considering whether or not to involve your child
in a health and wellness program.
During the TRIUMPH series, ACFN found an array of programs to teach children health and wellness. Interested in finding such a program for your child? Below are four key questions ACFN recommends you ask:
- Does the program combine both nutrition education and physical activity?
Research overwhelmingly shows that ensuring long-term health for children requires teaching healthy eating habits and ensuring regular physical activity. Find a program that does both.
- Does the program engage the entire family?
Be sure the program offers your family suggestions for helping your child put what he or she learns into practice. For instance, if your child learns that eating whole grains can be tasty and fun, be sure it offers you recommendations for placing tasty, fun whole grain foods on the table. If your child learns to replace an hour of TV time with activity time daily, be sure it offers the family guidance on how to make a similar commitment.
- Do the program’s recommendations reflect the reality of your child’s
situation?
Seek a program that will teach your child behaviors that make sense in his or her daily life. For instance, daily playtime with neighborhood children may not be an ideal option for a child living on a farm in a rural community. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily may be unrealistic for children in lower-income communities where fresh foods often are in short supply. Be sure your child will learn things that he or she can actually apply.
- Will
your child have fun?
There are myriad ways for health and wellness programs to be fun. Some set a goal that children work toward together, such as completing an endurance event. Others teach nutrition and movement in the context of activities on cultural diversity. Yet others let children get their hands dirty by preparing tasty recipes made with healthful ingredients. No matter the method, if your child has a good time, he or she will learn more and those lessons will last.