There’s not much to like about 2020 – with the current situation overhauling our norms and keeping us at home for most of the year. But for parents, perhaps one upside is that this gave us much-needed opportunity to slow down and bond with our kids, which we otherwise would not have the time for if we are working at the office and the kids are going to school.
Spending more time with our families has allowed us, moms, to get to know them better, including their lifestyles and even eating habits. And the uncertainty of the past few months might have wreaked havoc on their routines. So here are a few not-so-good new normal lifestyle changes that we should be aware of and supportive strategies for each:
- Sedentary lifestyle + Burnout
Staying at home most of the time threw our routines and bodies into a loop – we’re idle most of the time yet we still feel tired and overworked. Being cooped up in the last few months has reduced our physical activities by a lot. If we feel burned out because working from home makes it all too easy for us to take fewer breaks which we enjoyed before in the form of our daily commute, small talks with our team, or even lunch and coffee breaks when we’re working at the office. You’re not alone. The the same goes for our kids, they might be feeling burned out with days filled with schoolwork with little to no social interaction with their friends, and less physical activities.
Solution: Set a daily routine
If you and your kids have been winging it for the past few months, then now is the time to establish a daily routine. A daily routine can promote regular physical activity, rest breaks, and can even convey a sense of safety and security. Your daily routine should include scheduled physical activities for each family member, work/school times (including time for homework or even video calls with friends), rest, and sleeping times. This can help ensure that each day is well-rounded with enough time for a variety of activities.
- Stress eating
We have a natural tendency to turn to food during stressful times and kids are not immune to this. The problem with stress eating is if it’s left unchecked and if the food consumed is primarily unhealthy. You can also check out this video to learn more about unhealthy snacking.
Solution: Instill healthy eating habits
We can take advantage of our pandemic-induced home time by using it to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, which can serve as a supportive strategy against stress eating and other anxiety-related eating behaviors. We can do this by:
Preparing one family-style meal for everyone. Parents can easily fall into the trap of preparing two meals – one for the adults and one for the kids, especially if they think that the kids would not like the meal. The downside for this is that it’s exhausting, and it does not encourage kids to try out new dishes. Instead, we can prepare one big meal for everyone and serve it family-style – for everyone to pick and eat what they want. If you want to introduce new food or dishes to your kids, it’s better to do it one at a time as well so they can adjust to it. And while our kids might be hesitant to try out new dishes, you will be happy to know that kids generally mimic their parents’ eating habits. So they will eventually try it and it will get better.
Allowing treats. You can cut back on the junk but it’s also OK to allow treats every so often because outright forbidding them can make them more appealing for our kids. You can allow a few sugary treats or tasty chips on hand and dole them out as special treats or even as prizes whenever they accomplish a task.
If you are worried that your toddlers are not getting the right nutrition, then it might be good to supplement food with a growing-up milk. The right growing up milk, like NIDO® 3+ & NIDO® 5+, can help your 3+ toddler & 5+ school-age kid to meet his daily nutrition needs and also boost his immunity – a must for these times. The new and improved NIDO® 3+ / NIDO® 5+ taken with 3 balanced meals give Todo protection and Todo Protect that’s specially made for toddlers aged 3 to 5 years old with 3 balanced meals.Â
NIDO® 3+ contains 50% more immunity nutrients like Vitamins A, C, E, and Zinc compared to the previous formulation. It’s also the only growing-up milk in the market that has LACTOBACILLUS PROTECTUS®, a probiotic scientifically proven to help strengthen your child’s respiratory defense and protect him from pathogens that can cause common coughs and colds.Â
Todo rin sa overall growth and brain nutrients together with 3 balanced meals ang NIDO® 3+ & NIDO® 5+, as they contain PREBIO®3 Fiber, DHA, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Since NIDO® 3+ also contains NO added table sugar but contains lactose, your child is able to get all the benefits of milk without the negative effects of sugar.Â
Kaya todo sa sustansya with 3 balanced meals pero hindi todo sa presyo. Choose the #1 Milk for 3-5 years old. Todo Protect your 3+ toddler with NIDO® 3+ with 3 balanced meals.Â
Published with NIDO® 3+
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