What Are the 8 Things Young Children Need Most From Their Parents?
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“Children pay far more attention to what we do every day than to what we tell them to do. Healthy habits are easiest to teach when they simply become part of family life.”
— Mas’ood Cajee, DDS, MPH, Manteca
Here are eight habits worth protecting:
1. Read to them.
Start young and keep going—even after they can read themselves. Shared reading builds language, connection and curiosity. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading aloud beginning in infancy.
2. Give them words worth remembering.
Poetry, folk songs, nursery rhymes, prayers and family songs become part of a child's inner library.
3. Let them see you practice what you believe.
Whatever your family’s faith, philosophy or tradition, children learn values by watching them lived. Prayer, meditation, gratitude, kindness, generosity, service and quiet reflection mean more when children see adults actually practicing them. Model the behavior you hope they will carry into adulthood.
4. Go outside.
Walk, climb, garden, bicycle and explore. Preschoolers should be active throughout the day; school-age children need about 60 minutes of activity daily.
5. Help every child find a hobby.
Drawing, woodworking, soccer, sewing, cooking, gardening, chess—anything that lets them become absorbed in making or learning something.
6. Make good snacks the easy choice.
In our dental office, we often say that most childhood cavities come from bad snacking habits—especially frequent exposure to processed carbohydrates, sweets and sugary drinks.
Our “bad snack” list is simple: cookies, crackers, chips, candy, chocolate, fruit snacks—and fizzy drinks. That includes soda and other carbonated drinks. Sugary fizzy drinks can feed cavity-causing bacteria, while even sugar-free fizzy drinks may be acidic enough to wear away enamel.
A good rule for parents: if you can buy it in the snack aisle or drink cooler at a 7-Eleven or Circle K, think of it as an occasional treat, not an everyday snack.
Instead, keep fruit, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, hummus, nuts when age-appropriate, plain milk and water easy to reach.
And remember: how often kids snack or sip can matter just as much as how much they have.
7. Delay personal devices.
There is no prize for introducing technology early. Protect reading, play, sleep and conversation first. Current AAP guidance emphasizes screen-free family times, boundaries and delaying personal devices when families aren't ready to manage them.
8. Remember that “no” can be loving.
Parents are allowed to have family rules—including deciding against sleepovers. You can offer alternatives: host friends at your house, have a late-over, or pick children up before bedtime. The important thing is having boundaries you understand and can explain.
Where to get more info
American Academy of Pediatrics: Early Literacy and Family Media Plan
CDC: Physical Activity Guidelines for Children
Wikipedia: Parenting
DID YOU KNOW…? The AAP says families can begin sharing books with babies from birth—long before a child understands the story.
DID YOU KNOW…? Children don't need “exercise” in the adult sense. Running around, climbing, bicycling and energetic play all count.
