73 woman this month | November 2011 | Bahrain has a vast array of activities for young people to enjoy, either with you as a parent, or with their peers. Letitia Booysen, a level three gymnastics club coach, who has lived in Bahrain for the past five years, explains some of the ways we can encourage children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Letitia is very involved with sport development on the island and manages Monkeynastix. She enjoys teaching so many different age groups and nationalities and explains “I’ve come to realise that ‘competitive sport’ is not necessarily something all children will be drawn to, so that’s why I purchased the Master Franchise Licence for Monkeynastix Bahrain. I’ve been offering classes, birthday party activities and holiday camps with Monkeynastix and it’s proven very popular with schools and the youngsters”. Diet All too often, parents give in to their children’s tantrums. They will swap a healthy plate of food with a packet of crisps or ready meal, just to avoid an argument. But, of course, if children always get their own way once or twice, this will encourage them to always demand a fight before eating healthy food. A healthy diet starts at home and is greatly supported by a parent demonstrating their own love of fruit, vegetables and balanced meals. Letitia comments: “I love the saying ‘Children don’t do what their parents tell them to do; they do what their parents do’. This is true in so many ways. Parents need to be creative. A great way to introduce new and healthy foods is to let your child explore the tastes and textures. Hand them a chopping board and a plastic knife and in no time your child will try to eat the food!”. It’s been said before, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It ensures a steady stream of energy for your child. Breakfast should be something healthy, protein if possible, as this meal kick starts your child’s metabolism. Offer your child something that will add to their vitamin and fibre intake and that won’t leave them hungry and in need of snacks. Water Water is not generally a child’s first choice of drink and yet, living in Bahrain, hydration is so important, not just because dehydration makes you tired and less likely to want to join in physical activities, but also because water is necessary for a healthy mind, so it is needed for learning to take place. Letitia suggests that, “instead of forcing your child to drink water, explain to them why it is so important. Our bodies are like a well oiled machine. Without fuel — healthy food and water — this machine is going to break down, just like a car without petrol. What use will we be then if we cannot function normally?”. Children should have at least six glasses of water a day and very active children may easily require up to eight. Offer water initially and use juices as a treat because even natural fruit juice contains a great deal of sugar, which doesn’t help your child’s growing teeth. “If you struggle to get your child to drink water”, Letitia explains, “I’m a big fan of Rooibos tea, which is a South African product full of antioxidants. When I was younger, this encouraged us to drink. We used add a little bit of honey and lemon to add to the flavour. I could sip on that all day long, even during my gruelling gymnastics sessions”. Children are often fond of cucumber and this is another flavour that can easily make a boring glass of water more exciting. Exercise Children are normally quite active. When they enjoy playing outside or in the school playground, they not only mix with other children, use up their energy and develop their co-ordination; they also strengthen their muscles and bone density. Children from the age of one year to five years can benefit from organised exercise at least once or twice a week. “I know the question will be raised ‘how can my one year old exercise?’ Play group sessions or Monkeynastix lessons stimulate a child’s movement
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