Fall into the right habits
- Be active outdoors and indoors.
Sing, dance, and explore! Provide kids with actives that are comfortable and promotes safety. Allow kids to come up with different ways to pick up leaves or pine cones. Incorporate different techniques like squatting, bending, leaning, and stretching. For indoor fun play board games and computer games that encourage physical activity. Remember that children and adolescents should be active for at least one hour a day, and adults should be active for at least 2½ hours a week. Don’t forget to apply insect repellent to protect you and your family from the sun, mosquitoes, and ticks.
- Check the safety of toys and other products.
Check to see if any of your family’s toys, appliances, furniture, and other products have been recalled due to lead paint or other potential hazards. As you begin thinking about toys and gifts for upcoming events and holidays, make sure they are age-appropriate and all equipment is safe.
- Do as you say.
It’s easy to tell your family what to do. It’s even better to show them what to do and how to do it. Start the fall off with healthy habits. Eat healthy, be active, get check-ups, get appropriate vaccinations (including flu), be smoke-free, manage stress, wear seat belts, wash hands, wear helmets, and more. Build healthy relationships. Teach your kids how to avoid and reduce conflicts.