There are so many conflicting methods for how to keep children healthy, it can be confusing to pick what is best for your child. I talked to Dr. Lauri McKillip, a Woodlands-based pediatrician, about children’s health and the real but simple ways to keep kids healthy.
What are some ways around the house we can keep kids healthy?
Keep it clean! Like with the air ducts, we like to make sure there’s no contamination from mold, so having the air conditioners inspected from time to time is a good idea, prevention of insects in the house with regular exterminations to prevent any critters from coming inside. Hand washing is always a good thing to do. Healthy house, healthy kids!
What are things we can have kids do at school to keep them healthy?
It’s really important that they wash their hands after meals, after they cough, after they go to the bathroom. Good handwashing is really essential. Cough hygiene: if they’re coughing they need to cough into their elbows. Not sharing drinks with their friends, not sharing hats or combs because of lice.
Diet is especially important for growing children, so what are things in a child’s diet that can be done to keep a child healthy?
Sugar is the enemy. Refined sugars in food is really making us all sick. That includes juice; that’s not a good choice. We want to train kids to go to milk and water instead and stay away from added sugar to the diet. We jokingly say if it doesn’t come from a mom or the earth it’s probably not a good thing to eat. We really encourage the kids to get their fruits and vegetables every day. Juice is rotting kid’s teeth, and obesity is on the rise in kids not because of the fat in the diet but because of the carbohydrates.
Exercise is a great way to avoid obesity. Is there anything you would recommend?
Getting them outside is really good rather than being inside on their electronics. When we have the heat of the summer that’s a little bit harder to do; kids tend to be more sedentary indoors, but they can still do activities indoors, they can even climb the stairs and that kind of stuff. It’s kinda hard to get them motivated, but unfortunately kids are getting more sedentary with their electronics, so I think to get them involved with something that they really enjoy is important.
What are some fun ways to stay healthy or get exercise as a family?
If they have a dog, walk the dog; the dog will love it! Swimming is a great thing to do in the south because we can swim year-long. Getting out and just walking, but if they have a pet to walk that’s a great way to get them outside. Usually parents need the exercise too, so biking together is an excellent sport once the kids can ride their bikes.
What is the number one thing that parents don’t know or think about when it comes to keeping their kids healthy?
I think they really don’t understand the impact of sugar on their diet. We have to do a lot of counseling [on sugar] to parents even in a savvy community.
Should they take the sugars out or do artificial sweeteners?
No, artificial sweeteners are just as bad. If we start from the very beginning with infants which is what I try to do, don’t start them on juice as toddlers because they get used to it. We don’t want to deprive kids at all times, sure they can have them at birthday parties and stuff like that, but it shouldn’t be a part of their regular diet.
Sleep is incredibly important as well.
How many hours should kids get a night?
That’s kind of controversial and variable. It varies, but teenagers need at least 8 hours, kindergarteners need closer to 12 hours. The kids are so involved in after-school things or playing baseball till the evening and have homework after that, and they’re just not getting enough sleep. Sleep and diet is [vital to] a lot of our problems.
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