Skip to Content
Home > Patients & Visitors > Health Library > Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy
Raising children is a big job. It can be overwhelming to think about all the things your child needs to learn to stay safe and healthy.
In addition to teaching children good eating and activity habits, you can also teach them some basic health and safety habits.
Remember that your child learns habits by watching you. If you and the rest of your family follow healthy habits, your child will learn them from you. And if you have bad habits, your child will learn those too.
Help your children learn to:
Kids get dirty. They play with other kids who may be sick. Teaching them the following habits will keep them healthier:
The world can be a dangerous place. But you can teach your children habits that will help keep them safer:
Peer pressure is powerful. Your children likely will get to know others their age who use drugs or alcohol, who smoke, or who take part in dangerous behaviors like driving too fast. Your child will have an easier time dealing with peer pressure if he or she has learned some good habits.
Teach your children to:
Talking about sex can be awkward, but the earlier you start the discussion, the better prepared your child will be to make safer decisions about it.
The best time to begin the discussion about sex is when your child is in elementary school.
Teens need to learn healthy habits if they are sexually active. For example:
ByHealthwise StaffPrimary Medical ReviewerJohn Pope, MD - PediatricsSpecialist Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Current as ofNovember 14, 2014
Current as of:
November 14, 2014
John Pope, MD - Pediatrics & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more, visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2015 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
Feeling under the weather?
Use our interactive symptom checker to evaluate your symptoms and determine appropriate action or treatment.
Our interactive Decision Points guide you through making key health decisions by combining medical information with your personal information.
You'll find Decision Points to help you answer questions about:
Get started learning more about your health!
Our Interactive Tools can help you make smart decisions for a healthier life. You'll find personal calculators and tools for health and fitness, lifestyle checkups, and pregnancy.
Send Us Your Feedback
North Kansas City Hospital.