Parents are often very good about getting their children off to a healthy start at the beginning of the year with medical check-ups and healthier schools lunches but it’s equally important to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout the year. So, here are some tips on what you should be doing to maintain your child’s health.
Take your child for an annual check-up
If you haven’t already taken your child to the doctor for an annual check-up then don’t delay, make an appointment today. An annual physical exam ensures your child is healthy and fit. It’s also a good time to update any prescriptions and have medicine or other forms signed by your child’s doctor if required. Chat to your child regularly to make sure he or she is feeling well. Bonitas offers various benefits for consultations for children.
Visit the dentist
Take your child for a dental check-up twice a year to make sure everything is in order with their teeth. Visiting the dentist is not a choice. Teach your children that the dentist will help them prevent cavities and take care of their teeth so that their pearly whites will stay strong for years to come. Bonitas covers a dental check-up once every six months on most plans.
Manage stress
School days can be stressful for both children and parents, especially when homework piles up and exams are on their way. But too much stress can lead to health issues like sleeplessness or a sluggish immune system. Schoolwork and after-school activities are important, but it’s also important to take time to relax, play and spend time together as a family.
Choose nutritious foods
Eating a variety of healthy foods is important for your child’s wellbeing. Snacks like soft drinks, chips and cookies are easy to find with no preparation needed and therefore often end up in your child’s lunchbox. Choose healthy alternatives instead. Stock up on foods like fruits, vegetables and whole-grain bread. Take a few minutes over the weekend to prep interesting lunch box meals and make sure you have plenty of containers handy for delicious leftovers. Consider getting an insulated lunch bag so that you can include warm snacks during winter and offer a wider variety of lunches.
Teach basic hygiene
One way to stop your child from bringing germs home from school and getting sick, is by teaching them to wash their hands – regularly. Soap and warm water are best. Hand sanitisers will do when soap and water are not available. Encourage your child to spend enough time washing their hands. Tell them to sing the alphabet song from start to finish as they wash between fingers and the palms and backs of their hands. Teach them to wash hands after using the bathroom and before eating a meal or a snack. Remind your children to cough or sneeze into their elbow or sleeve if they don’t have a tissue handy.
Ensure they get a good night’s sleep
It is important for children and adults to get a healthy amount of sleep each night to stay focused through the day. Sleep is important for a child’s brain activity. Rest also helps keep the immune system strong. So try to get your children into a disciplined bedtime routine. Although sleep needs are different, most adults need about eight hours of sleep each night and children typically need more than nine hours. Sticking to a routine is important too, so don’t let weekends become regular late nights.
Administered by Medscheme Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Bonitas aims to make quality
healthcare accessible to all South Africans and offers a wide range of plans that are simple to understand and easy to use. The Fund has the largest GP
network in South Africa, a Specialist Network and a host of supplementary
benefits paid from risk and carefully crafted managed care programmes to
cover chronic conditions, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. This allows members to derive real value for money and stretch their benefits as far as possible
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