It is essential for every mother to ensure that her child develops healthy habits from the very beginning of life to maintain their health and well-being. Good health not only strengthens the child’s immunity but also supports cognitive development, as a healthy mind requires a healthy body. Some daily practices, often done unintentionally, can negatively affect a child’s health in both the short and long term.
Dr. Badriya Zayed, a family physician, highlights some common habits that can impact a child’s health without parents realizing it—such as drinking tea immediately after meals, staying up late, skipping breakfast, and more.
1. Excessive sweets consumption
Avoid giving your child sweets in all forms, including store-bought fruit yogurts, which often contain no real fruit but high sugar, colors, and flavorings. Excess sugar can harm your child’s health, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce appetite for nutritious foods, weaken immunity, and contribute to obesity. While many parents offer sweets as a reward, it can be more harmful than beneficial.
2. Drinking tea right after meals
It is common in many Arab cultures to offer tea after breakfast, but this can hinder iron absorption from foods like meat or liver, which are crucial for your child’s growth. Tea should only be offered in small amounts and ideally two hours after meals to avoid interference with nutrient absorption.
3. Excessive use of electronic devices
Limiting your child’s exposure to tablets, smartphones, and other screens is crucial, especially before age three. Overuse can lower focus, reduce cognitive abilities, increase anxiety and depression in adolescence, disrupt sleep patterns, contribute to obesity, and delay overall development.
4. Late bedtimes
Regular and early nighttime sleep of at least 8 hours is critical for a child’s immune system, growth, and overall health. Early sleep promotes growth hormone production, brain development, concentration, memory retention, mood stability, and daily energy. Avoid late-night activities after learning or play to ensure proper brain cell recovery.
5. Cleaning the house near the child
Avoid using chemical cleaners around infants, especially in their first months. Baby lungs are highly sensitive and absorb airborne chemicals three times faster than adults. Exposure can lead to chronic respiratory issues.
6. Skipping breakfast
A healthy breakfast provides energy, reduces unnecessary calorie intake, curbs excessive appetite, and lowers the risk of obesity. Breakfast also supports cognitive development, behavior, and learning. Ideal morning meals include: milk, cocoa, yogurt, whole-grain bread, and cereals. Breakfast is also an opportunity for family bonding and social support.
Summary:
Simple everyday habits—like sugar intake, tea timing, screen exposure, sleep schedules, chemical exposure, and breakfast—have a significant impact on a child’s health, immunity, brain development, and behavior. Awareness and small adjustments can protect your child’s long-term well-being.
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