Healthy Habits
When practiced regularly, these are life enhancing:

• Get plenty of sleep.
• Exercise regularly.
• Limit television viewing.
• Take care of your body.
• Maintain a smoke-free environment.

Social
These are some behaviors that promote healthy interactions:

• Encourage discussions and expression of feelings.
• Praise and encourage your child.
• Create opportunities for family activities.
• Reinforce limits and provide consequences.
• Encourage self-discipline.
• Review family rules such as bedtime rituals, television watching and chores.
• Teach respect for authority.
• Reinforce conflict resolution and how to handle anger.
• Assign responsibilities and provide opportunity for independence.

Safety
Injury prevention is proactive. Consider the following:

• Wear appropriate helmets and safety gear while biking, skating and rollerblading.
• In cars, should be seat-belted in back seat.
• Use sunscreen and limit sun exposure.
• Review traffic safety.
• Matches and guns should be locked up and out of reach.
• Provide safe after-school environment.
• Learn to swim.
• If a gun is kept in the home, store the gun and ammunition locked up in separate locations.
• Check smoke detectors.

Dental Health
Health maintenance is essential to a child's well-being:

• Brush teeth twice a day.
• Make sure fluoride intake is adequate.
• See the dentist regularly.

Parenting
These activities provide good examples for modeling important skills and encourage your child to grow in a healthy and happy way:

• Serve as a role model for ethical behavior and healthy habits.
• Show respect and listen.
• Show affection and pride.
• Spend time with your children each day and give them individual attention.
• Encourage reading and other hobbies.
• Set reasonable expectations.
• Know your child’s friends and their families.

Nutrition
Good nutrition is essential to a growing body. Tips include:

• Most children do best when they eat on a regular schedule.
• Make meal time a family time.
• Offer a variety of healthy choices for meals and snacks.
• Encourage children to make their own food choices and to try new foods.
• Don't use bribery or force to get children to eat.

Resources
The following items may be useful:

• American Academy of Pediatrics. Caring For Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12.
• Brace, Edward. Every Parent's Guide to Childhood Illnesses.
• Clarke, Jean. Self-Esteem: A Family Affair. •••••
• Davis, Martha. Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, 2nd ed. 1982.
• Faber, Adele. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk.
• Schmidt, Barton, MD. Your Child's Health.