One thing we should acknowledge is that inculcating healthy eating and exercise habits into children is a complex task which requires an extra-ordinary level of commitment, patience and sacrifice in terms of time and money by the parent.

As a parent, you have a duty to train and encourage your child to eat clean and nutritious foods in proper amounts and at the right time. Also encourage your child to take enough fluids — water, milk and juice — to aid proper digestion and blood circulation in the body. However, maximum hygiene is required in order to avoid cases of  diarrhoea and food poisoning.

Equally important for your child is physical exercises such as jogging, body bending and going to the gym among others. But the best way to teach your child to love working out is by you (the parent) doing it with your child quite often. Physical activities safeguard and assist the body muscles, bones and joints to grow healthier and stronger. Always remember that a healthy child always brings happiness to the parent

This therefore calls for your physical participation because, as a parent, you initially set objectives to achieve which may not necessarily be the same for another person or caretaker. It is very illogical for a parent to entrust such sensitive tasks to other people such as relatives and housemaids which, if mishandled, may pose a serious health danger to your child.

The writer is a teacher and counsellor

YOUR COUNSEL

You should always monitor and evaluate the diet of your child. Good, healthy eating results into mental strength and good body growth. Exercise comes in to help keep the body in shape and fit. As a parent, you should  teach your child proper eating   habits.

Gregory Byamukama

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Teach your child the three fundamental good eating habits — how to eat, what to eat and where to eat from. Your child should grow up knowing that eating from a dirty place can be harmful to their life.

Claire Mutesi

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I work out with my children every Saturday morning and then we proceed home for tea and fruits to recover the lost energy. You should teach your children the relevancy of sports and  healthy eating.

James Tumusiime

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Your child’s health is your happiness. Therefore show them the right diet at a young age so that they know what to eat, how to eat it and from where. Also start exercising with your child such that even when you are not with them in future, they can still work out on their own.

Christine Uwitonze