• Some easy ideas include hummus and vegetables for dipping, black beans, avocado, and spinach rolled up with a whole-grain tortilla, fruit and yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, and peach or mango salsa with homemade cinnamon chips.
2. Foster healthy relationships. Strong, healthy relationships are important throughout life and can impact our mental and physical well-being. As a child, you develop the social skills needed to form healthy relationships with others. Research shows that children with strong connections to supportive caregivers are more likely to be self-confident and be able to cope with life’s challenges. No matter your age, it’s important to identify what healthy relationships look like and how to keep connections supportive.
• Positive relationship behaviors include listening without judgment or blame, disagreeing respectfully, sharing feelings honestly, using kind words, tones, and gestures, compromising to reach agreements, and brainstorming solutions to problems together.
3. Practice gratitude and appreciate the little things. The third key element to creating a healthful home is to create a positive environment and express gratitude towards one another. Research has consistently associated greater happiness and well-being with gratitude. According to positive psychology research, “gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
