The Making of a Healthy Child is the foundation to a Healthy Adult

1. The Making of a Healthy Child is the foundation to a Healthy Adult Healthy Families make Healthy Children….

2. Who influences your children? • Parents • Extended family • Peer influences • Care givers • Teachers and school staff • Community • Church members

3. Who are the most influential people in your children’s lives? • You as the parents are the most important and influential people in forming your child’s future!!!

4. Why are the parents most influential? • They spend the most time with them and their children will learn to behave like them. • the parent needs to bond with the baby by caring for him or her by taking care of all of their needs, by holding them, talking to them, spending time playing with them, all of this shows that the parent loves their child. This builds their self-esteem. • As the baby grows into a toddler the parents responsibility is to lovely teach them how to behave toward others. • The parent must teach them how to respect others and have boundaries for their behaviors. Praises for appropriate behavior as well as consequences for inappropriate behavior. • The parent must give expectations for their children. • The parent must teach their child how to express their emotions in a healthy manner.

5. Let’s look at some staggering statistics of what is happening to the health and safety of our Youth…. And what we as parents, schools and community can do to help change this….

6. Purpose of the Youth Risks Behavior Surveillance System • Focus the nation on behaviors among youth causing the most important health problems • Assess how risk behaviors change over time • Provide comparable data

7. Behaviors That Contribute to the Leading Causes of Diseases and Death in Youth • Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence • Tobacco use • Alcohol and other drug use • Sexual behaviors • Unhealthy dietary behaviors • Inadequate physical activity

8. Leading Causes of Death Among Persons Aged 10 – 24 Years in the United States, 2003

9. obesity, smoking and drinking alcohol…. Can the parent be the major changing influence to help their children be healthy and live safer lives?

10. Getting involved in your child’s life. It means asking questions like…how was school today? What did you do at school?...Do you have homework? Let’s see what you need to do? Eat healthy family meal together, not in front of a television. TALK! Be physical active,30 minutes each day. Get to know your child’s friends and their family. Invite their friends to your home where there is adult supervision and you can get to know them. Talk to your child about your values, right from wrong and allow them to open up and ask for advice. Make sure your child gets good sleep No TV or video games in their bedroom Yes the parent can make a differences…by doing the things below

11. Unintentional injury and violence Tobacco use Alcohol and other drugs Sexual Behavior Unhealthy dietary behavior Inadequate physical activity Parents must teach their child to wear seat belts, helmets on bikes. Parents must supervise their children. Parents don’t smoke and talk to your child of the hazards. Live how you want your children to be. Teach them your values about wise choices and how it affects their future. Eat right and exercise Behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of disease and death in our Youth and what parents can do to help prevent it.

12. Create Awareness to Change these Statistics on Health Issues and Death Rates in Youth Among: • Legislators, boards of education, and school administrators • Parents • Community members • School staff • Students • Media

13. What can be done for the health of your children? • Parents teaching their children healthy lifestyles • School health program requirements • School health council requirements • Drug-free or weapon-free school zone laws • Drinking and driving laws • Bans on billboards and other advertising • Healthy food policies

14. Develop Programs and Policies • School health programs and policies (Wellness Policy) • Programs and policies for youth in high risk situations • Parenting classes for parents • Professional development programs for teachers • Community Centers for Youth • Church Youth groups and activities

15. Let’s talk about healthy eating and right portion sizes Chubby is not healthy

17. Food Groups are Color Coded

18. Variety of Healthy Foods and variety of physical activities

19. Print materials: Mini Poster

20. Message: Moderation In the Dietary Guidelines: • Limit intake of saturated and trans fats, and choose products low in these fats. • Make choices of meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk products that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free. • Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or calorie sweeteners. In MyPyramid graphic: • Food group bands narrow from bottom to top suggesting to eat nutrient-dense forms of foods.

21. Message: Physical Activity In the Dietary Guidelines: • Engage in regular physical activity and reduce sedentary activities to promote health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight. In MyPyramid graphic: • Steps and person on them symbolize that physical activity should be a part of everyday healthy living.

22. Healthy Families make Healthy Children…it’s your job to teach your children healthy habits such as eating right and being physically active. • Implementation is the challenge ahead. • Parents are vital for success. • It will be an ongoing process. • Working together, we can help Americans to be healthier.