Faith Regional Health Services | living WELL | Fall 2018

FRHS.ORG 9 Good medical care can help kids grow up to be healthy adults. Find reliable parenting sources “Knowledge of parenting is not something you are born with,” says Hira Ahmed, DO, Pediatrician at Faith Regional Health Services. “Dr. Google can often lead parents astray. I encourage you to use your pedia- trician as a resource and ask questions during each routine and well-child checkup.” Additional sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Mental Health America Help them build confidence and resilience. Children and teens need to develop strengths, learn coping skills and be able to recover from life’s disappointments. That’s called resilience: believing in yourself enough to get back up and try again. To help build that kind of confidence in your chil- dren, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends: •  Focusing on the best in each of your children so that they see the good in themselves too. •  Recognizing when your children have done well. •  Offering honest praise about specific achievements. •  Giving your children uncondi- tional love, regardless of their accomplishments. 4 Serve them healthy meals. Create a home where healthy choices are available for everyone in the family. For meals, aim to follow the ChooseMyPlate ( choosemyplate.gov ) example by covering half the plates you serve in fruits and veg- etables. Divide the other half between whole grains and lean sources of protein. Other tips for nutritious family meals: Make sure every- one eats breakfast. Prepare food at home as a family. And limit fast food and take-out. Starting your kids on healthy foods now makes them more likely to choose healthy foods in the future. 5 To find a pediatrician or a primary care provider, visit frhs.org .