Healthy Living

Tips For Caring For The Mental Health Of Children And Young People

During this time of pandemic, parents and caregivers of children and adolescents must take care of the mental health of the little ones.

Physical activity, along with healthy eating, helps to strengthen the immune system and improve learning processes.

For this reason, follow these key recommendations to apply to children and young people. They should have fun doing activities with which they grow and learn.

• Make habits that involve movement.
• Create different physical activities.
• Take active mental and physical breaks.
• Establish routines that include different activities of interest to children and adolescents.
• Build games and toys using different reusable materials that allow for moments of movement.
• Organize your day by setting times for studying, making your bed, etc.
• Exercising as a family takes care of children’s mental and physical health, strengthens emotional bonds, and reinforces following instructions.
• Children who spend too much time looking at screens may miss significant opportunities to practice and master interpersonal, motor, and communication skills.
• Give them ‘motivational tokens’ to redeem when they complete tasks, achieve goals, or any other positive reason.
• Reading a book helps children stimulate their imagination and creativity, enrich their culture, and increase their interest in the things around them.

The importance of health care for school-age children

A nutritious diet, physical activities, and comprehensive health checks are some of the variables that parents should take into account.

Vaccinations in school age

It is essential to vaccinate your child to protect him from many diseases that can be serious. With vaccines, we are also preserving the health of our family and the community.

Healthy eating

It is essential to maintain a conscious diet that contains the vital nutrients and energy that children need to grow and stay healthy. In addition, a healthy diet favours development and academic performance. If your child has a good breakfast or lunch before going to school, they will be more attentive and will learn better. You must include some of these foods in your child’s meals every day:

• Fruits and vegetables of all types and colours.
• Dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese).
• Red and white meats (constantly removing visible fat).
• Variety of cereals and legumes.

Remember the importance of drinking safe water frequently for good hydration!

Keep in mind that certain foods and drinks are not advisable for children to consume frequently:

• Cold cuts, industrial hamburgers, sausages, cold cuts
• Sugary drinks, artificial juices, soy juices
• Salty snack-type products such as chitons
• Fried foods
• Sweets

Possible healthy meals

Some ideas to help your child eat healthily during school hours:

• Vegetable salad with rice, legumes, corn, potatoes, tuna in brine, chicken pieces, egg, or soft cheese.
• Vegetables, corn chicken pies, or empanadas without a lid (preferably with homemade dough).
• Sandwich with cheese, chicken or cold meat, lettuce, tomato, grated carrot, cucumber, or other vegetables.
• Swiss chard or spinach bites with chicken.
• Vegetable omelette.
• Fruit.

Physical activity 

Sports and daily activity are essential for your child to grow stronger and with fewer health risks. By staying active, they achieve:

• Stronger muscles and bones.
• Lower likelihood of overweight and diabetes.
• Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

A good rest

Getting a good night’s sleep helps your child to be more attentive and learn better. Your child needs to go to bed early and sleep between 8 and 10 hours a day. Rest is essential for their health.