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Ensure your child has sufficient time to rest, recharge, and participate in physical activities like exercise or activities with family and friends. This can help them better cope with difficulties and achieve greater physical and mental well-being.
Here are some general tips you can use to encourage your child to develop good daily habits and coping methods:
Affirm them when they engage in good daily habits and practise these habits yourself
Develop a healthy and balanced lifestyle by using a planner to plan and keep track of daily activities, including time spent on devices
Encourage them to take breaks and rest (e.g. play with their friends or siblings for a set amount of time, exercise, journal, participate in co-curricular activities they enjoy), even during times when they might feel compelled to study more (e.g. exams)
Encourage them to actively factor in breaks and rest periods, as well as incorporate things they enjoy and value in their daily activities and schedules.
Remind them of the steps they can take to manage their feelings
To help your child maintain a healthy daily routine, you can guide them to develop good exercise, sleep, eating, and digital habits. These will help to promote their physical and mental well-being.
Here are some good daily habits you can encourage your child to have:
Ensure they get at least 1 hour of exercise every day
While it is helpful if your child has a hobby that involves physical activity like sports or dance, they can also do simple physical activities like taking the stairs or walking to the bus stop
Organise outings that involve physical activity, such as taking a walk in the park or going to the playground
Click here to find out more tips on physical activity on Parent Hub.
Encourage them to develop a good bedtime routine
Having an effective routine can help ensure they have a restful sleep
Some good habits include:
Limiting their caffeine intake throughout the day, so they can sleep well at night
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day (even weekends and school holidays) as much as possible
Winding down with relaxing activities before bedtime (e.g. putting away devices at least an hour before bedtime to read a book instead)
Avoiding watching TV or using their devices in the bedroom
Getting out of bed and doing something non-stimulating (e.g. journalling or listening to light soothing music) if they are unable to fall asleep, and going back to bed only when they feel sleepy
Keeping their bedroom dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature
Ensure they get sufficient hours of rest
Younger children aged 6 to 13 are recommended to have 9-11 hours of sleep per day
Older children aged 14 to 17 are recommended to have 8-10 hours of sleep per day
Click here to find out more tips on sleeping well on Parent Hub.
Support and encourage them to eat nutritious meals and have a balanced diet
Promoting a healthy diet from a young age will make it easier for them to maintain one in the future.
You can help encourage a good diet by:
Making nutritious food options available to them
Showing them how to have a healthy and balanced diet by adopting one yourself
Limiting the amount of less nutritious food and drinks (e.g. potato chips, sugary drinks) that are readily available
Involve them in preparing nutritious meals
This increases their feelings of ownership and makes them more likely to accept and eat prepared meals
Click here to find out more tips on eating healthily on Parent Hub.
Just as technology is a part of daily life today, it can also be part of your child’s healthy lifestyle as long as they develop good digital habits by:
Choosing quality and age-appropriate online content
Ensuring a healthy balance in the use of devices which includes screen-free activities (e.g. reading, exercising, interacting with family and friends) and getting enough sleep
Using technology and social media in safe ways
For children under 13 years old, do not give your child access to social media services, and mobile devices with unrestricted access to internet and applications. Major social media services require users to be at least 13 years old.
Your child can also stay safe online by:
Setting a secure password and keeping it private
Engaging in screen use that is creative, educational, or allows for social interaction with loved ones (as opposed to those that are purely for entertainment purposes)
Using T.H.I.N.K. before they post something online
Using S.U.R.E. to determine the reliability of the information they come across online
Having open conversations with you about their online activities
Click here to find out more age-specific tips to support your child’s physical and mental well-being on Parent Hub.
