Tools to Ensure A Lifetime of Healthy Habits in Your Child

Concerned with the start of the school year that you need to get your kids on a schedule? Try to maintain some control during the school year using the multitude of kid friendly (and parent worthy) motivational charts and info at Kid Pointz.  Martin Goodman, a father of 4, along with child behavior experts developed this extensive website complete with FREE behavioral charts for kids of all ages – toddler to teen. Any behavior you would like your child to work on is listed (potty training and number recognition to homework and chores). You name it; chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for including suggestions on how to use the charts along with links to further information on a particular topic. Another bonus to this website is the ability to track your child’s “pointz” progress. In fact, the very process of setting up the charts can be an exercise in accountability and responsibility for your child. Together you determine a point system for their specific charts – for example, completing daily chores results in 3 “pointz”. You then set up the reward system – going to the movies could cost 10 stars. It’s like a banking system complete with deposits (the points earned) or withdrawal (points removed for behaviors not completed, to investing (banked points towards a specific reward).

Some of my favorite tools are the exercise and healthy eating behavior charts. Earn pointz for eating fruits and veggies, lose pointz for noshing on chips. Or, earn pointz for 30 minutes of bike riding, lose pointz for more than 60 minutes of TV. And lastly, there is a goal setting chart that can be used to set specific goals your child may have. This is fabulous for older kids as they learn how to establish an end result and then work backwards to determine what steps are involved to reach that goal. As a parent that sometimes struggles to get my children (a toddler and a tween) motivated to exercise their age-appropriate responsibilities, I found this website very helpful and informative. Incorporating some (or ALL) of these charts can keep your children on task, whether they are maintaining math and reading levels or keeping up with their daily chores. This will help ensure they get enough exercise and good nutrition. These are just some of the healthy behaviors your child can learn and live during the dog days of summer (and long afterwards).