Soha’s take on inculcating healthy habits in kids from the beginning 



For a mother, her family’s wellbeing is paramount. A large part of this is ensuring that her child’s growth and development is on the right track, that he/she is imbibing good habits, and his/her nutritional needs are met. And within all of this, it’s equally important to ensure everything that your child inculcates sets him/her for success in the longer term. For me personally, investing in my daughters growth from the very start has been a priority, and I have worked hard to inculcate a mix of healthy habits into my daughters daily routine, in the hope that she continues to sustain these as she grows, and hopefully passes then onto her own family when the time comes.

Eating a daily dose of almonds to meet her body’s nutritional needs!

Growing up, my mother made sure my brother and I started our day with soaked almonds, and we had a few before breakfast. This is something I also do for my daughter. I hand her some almonds to munch on in the morning. I usually soak them in advance, so she can easily eat them.  Almonds are a source of 15 nutrients such as vitamin E, magnesium, protein, riboflavin, zinc, etc., and are known to provide energy making them a great food to add to the diet of a growing child. With my daughter, I ensure she has a handful of almonds everyday – and try to space them out so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed in one go. I give her some in the morning, then sometimes I grind them into a powder and serve them as a smoothie, and I also make sure to give her some as an evening snack. Almonds make for a healthy snack, contain satiating properties which help keep her full, and that helps us avoid binging on junk.

If you don’t already, I definitely suggest to add this daily habit of getting your child to munch on a handful of almonds, as this is a healthy habit which will stay with them for life.

Stay as active as you possibly can!

Children usually have a huge dose of energy – and it’s easy to get them motivated into doing things, but it’s equally important to sustain that momentum, and continue to keep them active as they age. I try to keep my daughter engaged with various interactive art exercises, or plan dance sessions, play some outdoor games on our terrace or get her to exercise when I am. While this may seem impromptu, I make sure I meticulously plan the day for my daughter in advance to ensure she doesn’t get bored, or feel the monotony (in the absence of regular school, and outdoor play time). I also make sure she spends at least 1.5 – 2 hours on her feet every day, so she understands the importance of physical activity and continues to do this as she ages. Definitely suggest other moms to do this too – it could be easy things like including your kid in your workout session, enrolling him/her to learn a sport, or dance class, or planning fun indoor / outdoor activities within the home premises. Over time, this will become a habit in the child, and he/she will understand the importance staying fit while remaining active, which will push him/her to make fitness a lifelong priority. 

Create a sleep schedule, with a set timelines!

Sleeping right and adequately is important for everyone, and kids in particular. Lack of sleep may cause irritation, lethargy, and dipped energy levels which isn’t a good thing for any child. To counter this, make sure your child understands the importance of sleep and has a set bedtime and time to wake up. Add to this an afternoon nap, which too is at a time that has previously been set. Many moms know, getting a kid to sleep isn’t the easiest of tasks – but, over time it’s definitely a challenge worth overcoming. I ensure my daughter is in bed by 9 PM every day, and this is a timeslot both of us have agreed on in advance to ensure there are no delays/pushbacks. You could try that with your kid too – take their opinion on a a final cut off time for bedtime, so they feel involved in the decision making.

In case you don’t already follow this practice, I recommend you begin as early as possible. A proper sleep schedule is a healthy habit that will keep your child powered up, through life.