Healthy Lifestyle & Commercial Marketing To Children

Young children are especially vulnerable to the commercial media marketing campaigns that are targeted toward them. The United States is really lagging behind other countries in protecting children from targeted commercials at a young age.

In many countries targeting children under certain ages, commonly 12 or less, is against the law. In the United States big companies claim that it is up to the parents to make the decisions about what to buy and yet continue to market specifically to children as young as 3 or 4 years old.

Protect Your Children With A Healthy Lifestyle

The best thing you can do to protect your children from the media and ensure their healthy lifestyle is to shut off the TV. The onslaught of media targeted toward small children on their TV shows is very compelling. A small child does not have the ability to differentiate at that early age between real and not so real value. The commercial programming is often more interesting and exciting (louder) than the actual shows.

In the end you have the final say in what your small children watch and that will impact their values as well.

Teach Kids About Media Marketing

When watching TV with your kids discuss the ads that you see from a health perspective. As you drive and see billboards along the way teach them the difference between marketing values and images portrayed.

Involve Children In Healthy Activities

Get your children of all ages outside! Walking in the woods, bike rides, parks and brief nature encounters make a huge impact on children as they grow up. These do not have to be major outings, just small events that keep them engaged in the real world.

Give Them The Dream Of Healthy Lifestyle

Everyone wants a healthy life! Embed that dream in them when they are young. A recent study by the “Center for the New American Dream” found that kids ages 9-14 primarily want love, happiness, peace on earth and friends. Give your children their dreams by helping them to learn to fulfill desires and free themselves from commercialism.

Actively support your kids in developing a healthy lifestyle with love and friendship.

Healthy Kids Cook!

Kids Who Cook Are Healthy

Kids who cook before they are 12 live longer and healthier lives. Take the time to cook with your kids and it will impact their entire lives! Cooking not only is healthy, it is also a feel-good activity.

Cooking TV Shows Fill A Health Need

Preparing a home-cooked meal is love. When children see their Mom, Dad, Grandma or anyone for that matter cooking for them, it feels good. It is a bit of love that contributes to their health. The rise in TV cooking shows is a result of the fast-paced 21st century lifestyle that does not allow for cooking at home. Kids and adults alike are missing that feel-good, heart-centered feeling that watching someone cook creates.

Cook With Your Kids

Give your kids the gift of love and health by setting aside time to get them into the kitchen or at least enjoy a home-cooked meal with you. One of the best ways to encourage diversity in children’s food choices is to have them involved in the cooking process too. Often times when I teach kids cooking classes, the children start out by saying “I don’t like XYZ.” to which I reply that they do not have to eat it, just help us cook it.

Kids Eat Healthy When Exposed To Healthy

Kids who are exposed to healthy foods usually grow up to eat healthy foods all their lives. Even though they never eat it as a child, they often will eat it later in life. Get your kids involved in cooking, teach them the value, and give them the love of a home-cooked meal.

Gardening With Kids & Promote Active Lifestyle!

Get Your Kids OUT In The Garden!

Kids need to be outside more. As Spring approaches one of the best ways to give your child an appreciation and awe of nature is to get them out in the garden.

As most parents know, it is important to encourage children to engage in active, healthy activities. The more time a child spends outside, getting exercise and using her or his imagination, the less time spent watching useless television programs. However, not every parent is able to spend a fortune on weekend or after-school outings with their children.

Fortunately, there are many ways that parents can promote their kids’ active lifestyle, without spending a great deal of money.

Encouraging Active Lifestyles Through Gardening

Making a special day around planting a vegetable garden is not only a great one-day adventure, it is an activity that will provide many other days of bonding. Gardening promotes and active lifestyle that will stick with your kids throughout their lives. Children will be proud of themselves as they see their hard work flourish and will even be encouraged to eat more vegetables, since they did raise the veggies themselves.

Also, gardening is great exercise. Most children are so happy to play in the dirt that they don’t even realize that they are working their muscles and getting in a nice little workout.

When planning a special gardening day, choose a warm day that is free of other commitments. Take your kids to the store to get small gardening shovels, gloves, fertilizer, and other supplies that you need. Let your children choose the type of seeds they want to cultivate. Most children will be excited at the prospect of choosing which plants to grow, which will make the outing all the more special. However, guide them towards easy-to-maintain choices, like tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, radishes, and kale.

Teach the kids how to refer to the package on how to plant certain seeds. Help your children plant the seeds, while teaching them how to do it themselves and letting them do most of the work.

Gardening Encourages Children To Eat Vegetables

Eating vegetables becomes more natural when your children have watched them grow. Encourage your kids to think of things they want to make with the vegetables once they are ready to be harvested. The excitement of watching a garden grow will stay with your kids all there lives.

The great thing about beginning a vegetable garden as a family is that it will offer many different opportunities to work and eat together. You will have to teach your children to properly water and rid the garden of weeds. Families will even be able to enjoy harvesting and taste-testing the product of their hard work. This inexpensive backyard outing will give children a healthy hobby, while also hopefully encouraging them to eat a few more vegetables.