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Last Updated on May 11, 2018 by Marie Bautista
As a parent, it’s safe to say that your family’s health is always your top priority. Yes, you definitely want to keep them happy, but you know that caring for their health is the best way to achieve this in the long run. Although life is definitely about balance, it can be hard to find. You often want to make sure that you get their needs covered off, but also ensure that they can still enjoy a fun and joyful childhood too. It can be a challenge, but in time you always find the right balance for your family. One that you know works for you.
And then winter comes along and throws everything out! Because there’s nothing quite like a change of seasons to completely throw you out of rhythm. That great balance you once had is quickly lost, and you often then find yourself struggling to keep everyone happy and healthy at the same time. With the harsh weather and dreary dark days, everyone just wants to lay on the couch and eat cookies, even you! And that sure throws off your balance! But, you don’t have to let everything go just because it’s winter. Here’s how you can have their health covered at the coldest time of year.
Let Your Body Sleep Earlier
Have you noticed that in the winter months, you tend to start feeling a lot sleepier a lot earlier? It’s the combination of the darker nights and shorter days that just makes us what to shut down as soon as the typical “day” time is done. It’s kind of like we want to hibernate. So don’t try to fight your natural instincts. Okay, so you can’t go to sleep at 4pm, but you can at 9pm instead of 11pm! If your body is more tired in the evenings compared to usual, just go with it and get to bed earlier.
Then Try To Get Up Earlier
But, then you’re going to want to make sure that you actually get up earlier in the mornings too. If you go to sleep early and wake late, you’re going to feel even more lethargic. And even though you won’t want to when the mornings are dark, there are so many benefits of getting up earlier. You will definitely have much more energy than usual, and you’ll find that you will get more done too. Although you won’t want your kids to get up too early, it will do them to get up earlier too.
Keep Everyone Hydrated
From here, you should start to keep an eye on everyone’s hydration levels. Just make sure that your entire family is drinking enough water, including the pets, and you will be making a huge difference to their health this winter. Because you know that everyone wants to eat more, but try not to focus on that. Hydration is a great start!
Make Healthy Homemade Meals
So, you want to load up on carbs and comfort food, right? But you still want to make sure that you’re all healthy? Well, you should be thinking about cooking all of your meals from scratch. Because there’s no real reason why you can’t enjoy some really tasty and comforting winter meals, but you should just make sure that they’re fresh and full of goodness and you’ll be keeping everyone happy.
Try Something New
At this time of year, it’s so easy to feel very frustrated with the same old stuff. Because we tend to get into routines and that can make us feel very lethargic in winter. So why not opt for a little spontaneity? Trying something new and shaking things up at this time of year can be really great for your energy levels. So plan a day trip and try to get active – including your pets where you can too!
Keep Your Routines Up Too!
However, you also have to make sure that you stick to your routines too. Because it’s important to stay on top of those things you need to do. From doing your kids homework with them after school to treating your pet with their Pet-Lock, you have to be sure that you’re doing your normal daily routine to keep your minds healthy. And in the case of the pets, keeping them protected too!
Make The Most Of Your Weekends
With the dark evenings, you’re probably wondering how you’re all meant to do some kind of exercise (even if you’re secretly happy to cuddle up on the couch). This is why you need to make the most of your weekends. By getting involved in different activities, heading out on tips, and just generally enjoying yourselves, you should all feel both happy and healthy.
Keep Up The Activities
It’s also for this reason that you need to sure that everyone keeps up their usual activities. Because they’re less likely to be playing out in the yard after school, you need to make sure they stick to their extracurriculars. And you have to keep up those dog walks too. You could even choose to do longer walks or hikes as a family, or even go on bike rides with your pet too.
Increase Your Vitamin Intake
In winter, our bodies definitely need a lot more energy to fight off the cold and any illnesses too. So, it’s essential that you think about increasing your vitamin intake where you can. Getting a good multivitamin for your kids will be a great idea here. And you and your husband should be sure to start taking one too!
Let Your Body Rest
And finally, be sure to let your body rest a little more than usual. If you’re someone that’s always on the go, try to cut back a bit if you can. At this time of year, you need to preserve as much energy as possible. So be sure to get some rest. Grab the kids and cuddle up with your pets on the couch with a hot cocoa a little more. It will do all of you a world of good.
