As parents, we want our children to make the healthiest choices possible, and we take ample time setting them up with healthy habits to ensure that. Unfortunately, while these health-based focuses are easy enough to ensure when your kids are young, there will come a time when they may start to question those healthy regimes, especially if they see you engaging in unhealthy habits that go against what you expect from them.
From poor eating to addictive behaviours, your bad health habits run the risk of undoing any good your efforts up until now have achieved. That’s why you might want to think about scraping these bad health habits before the kids get any older.
# 1 – Smoking
Children are incredibly impressionable, and studies reveal that growing up in a household where smoking is normalised increases the risk of your children becoming smokers by as much as four times. That’s true even if you take steps to hide the habit.
Stopping smoking when your children are young is the best way to avoid this. Not only does this reduce the risks of secondhand smoke, but it also ensures that your children will never remember you smoking.
To ensure this, you’ll want to go down a direct no-smoking route, especially if your children are already starting to realise your habit. Joining a group, or using a vape if you’re worried about relapse, could help you to be smoke-free long before any lasting damage is done.
# 2 – Skipping Meals
Mums skip meals for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps you’re on a quest to lose some weight, or maybe you’re in the habit of snacking as you cook for your kids instead of eating dedicated meals. Whatever the reason, skipping meals is another bad habit that your kids might soon start to notice.
This is especially problematic because missing out on family meals can impact familial bonds, and even harm your children’s wellbeing. Children who see this direct example of disordered eating from their primary caregiver are also more likely to develop similar problems as they get older, increasing the risk of weight problems, low self-esteem, and even mental health issues over time.
# 3 – Failing to Take Time For Yourself
You’re an always-on mum who dedicates every waking minute to your children, but did you ever consider that this could also prove harmful? That’s not to say that you shouldn’t spend time with your children, but studies suggest that children are happier and more well-rounded if they also see their parents engaging in personal hobbies.
From reading to knitting, taking time to enjoy these hobbies in full view of your children will help them to gain independence, and hopefully prioritise their own enjoyment well into adult life. All because you took a moment to make some me-time.
It’s easy to slip into these bad health habits as a parent but trust us when we say that you’ll want to address them before they start to impact your children’s health too.
