A small number of church schools in Malta are participating in a pilot project which seeks to promote general well-being in schools through healthy habits.
Healthy Children:
Show better academic performance
Have fewer behaviour problems
Have positive attitudes
Gain food experience (food literacy)
Tend to miss school less because they have fewer sick days.
The “6 Ways to a Healthy Lifestyle” image here under sums up all the key elements we as responsible adults, should keep in mind in order to keep our children as well as ourselves healthy.
Healthy Children require:-
An adequate intake of daily water intake. Primary school aged children need to drink 1.3L of plain water daily.
Well balanced nutritious food. Providing children with nourishing lunches at school is important for the development of healthy eating habits for life. Well balanced meals help improve concentration, energy levels, and motivation and help lower the risk of diabetes and obesity.
Adequate sleep:- Children aged six to 13 need 9-11 hours of sleep. Watching TV close to bedtime has been associated with bedtime resistance, difficulty falling asleep, anxiety around sleep and sleeping fewer hours.
Adequate physical activity. At least 60 minutes a day is recommended. It may not be necessarily a PE lesson or an extracurricular activity. However, it is important to keep your child moving as much as possible This can be done by asking for the help with house chores as well as playing fun games at home which are more physical rather than sedentary. In this way, it reduces time spent looking at a screen.
This pilot project aims to empower school administrators and educators to bring about a culture change through influencing policy in the school environment where healthy habits are concerned. The school Klikks system and social media can be a platform for parent outreach. Children spend half the time in school and half at home. The home education with regards to the development of healthy eating habits takes priority. Thus it is imperative to communicate short practical tips and reminders about healthy lifestyle to parents. Teachers and parents will be offered health check-ups on a voluntary basis for participation and against a voluntary donation. It is also important that adults are well aware of the importance of being healthy.