| As
they get even older, they can be taught that smoking cigarettes
or taking drugs is their choice to opt for sickness. Telling
them to “just say no” and forbidding them to smoke
or take drugs is not enough. They need to understand the health
consequences and realities of putting these substances in
their bodies. Children are very intelligent, but they need
to be reminded that they are powerful and they have choices.
They can understand the consequences of their choices.
Talk to
your children about how strong their bodies are and the extraordinary
things their bodies can do. Show them how their bodies can
miraculously heal a cut, how their heart works and how they
can strengthen their heart through exercise and healthy food,
how their immune system fights off germs and other invaders,
and how getting enough sleep makes them feel better throughout
the day. All these things can be taught in fun and imaginative
ways with drawings, stories, etc. Children are fascinated
with their bodies and they want to know how they work.
Dr. Wayne
Dyer tells us in his book, What
Do You Really Want For Your Children?, “the more
children learn from you to rid themselves of attitudes which
foster sickness, the more you are helping them to enjoy life
each day. They will actually live longer and more productive
lives if they learn wellness as very young children.”
Parents frequently make statements that reinforce a sickness
attitude. Did your mother ever tell you that if you don’t
wear a scarf, you’ll catch a cold and be sick? A wellness
approach would be to say, “You are so strong and healthy
that you probably won’t develop a cold, even if the
other kids do, but here is a scarf to keep you warm and comfortable
outside”. Dr. Dyer also cautions us to resist taking
frequent trips to the doctor and using medications for everyday
aches and pains and common ailments such as a cold. When we
teach children that there is a pill for every complaint and
that a doctor visit is part of every cure, we disempower them
and set them up to rely too heavily on drugs and doctors throughout
their lives. They need to know they are in charge of their
own health.
In order
to teach our children to choose health, we must model wellness
and take charge of our own health. Wellness is not just having
an absence of symptoms. It’s asking yourself how you
can attain outstanding health. It’s making exercise
and stress reduction a daily part of your lifestyle, choosing
healthy foods and modeling this behavior for your children.
As Dr. Dyer puts it, “It means simply being as healthy
as you possibly can be, and being determined not to allow
your wonderful body, the place where your mind currently resides,
to deteriorate unnecessarily.”
There
has been much research on the relationship between illness
and attitudes. The research suggests that even cancer and
heart disease are strongly related to a person’s inner
attitudes. Dr. Harrison tells us in his book, Loving Your
Disease, that “Predispositions to disease are often
not passed on in a physical sense but rather through the messages
parents give their offspring and the living habits and diet
they pass down”.
Dr. Dyer
recognizes the obvious elements of wellness that include diet,
exercise, and eliminating negative lifestyle habits. In addition,
he suggests two elements that will help children as much as
the physical components. These elements are using visualization
and having a sense of humor. They are just as important as
diet and exercise.
Positive
imagery or visualization is a powerful tool that children
can use to help them become capable, healthy and vibrant people.
Visualization puts the imagination to work to help achieve
a desired outcome. It is the process of creating positive
thoughts and images in the mind to communicate with the body.
It is one of the strongest and most effective ways to make
happen what you want in your life. Children can be taught
to regularly see themselves in their minds as being radiantly
healthy, vibrant, and actively participating in whatever activities
they want to do. Positive imagery or visualization is very
helpful for children who are overweight or who have acne or
other skin diseases and need to establish a better self-image.
Verbal affirmations can be used with imagery. A good affirmation
for a child to say regularly is “I am good to my body
and my body is good to me” or “Every day I am
feeling better and growing more vibrantly healthy”.
Children can also use visualization to help their body to
heal. Studies show that there are significant remission rates
among people healing from cancer who use visualization as
part of the healing process.
Laughter
is a strong healer and health builder. Dr. Dyer tells us that
“when children laugh they are actually releasing into
their bloodstream chemicals which are necessary for the prevention
and cure of disease”. Have fun with your children. Be
a little crazy and silly and laugh as much as you can. Each
good belly laugh means that you and your children are becoming
more physically and emotionally sound.
Related
Article: Encouraging Children To
Eat Healthy
Use the
information provided in this database as an educational resource
for determining your options and making your own informed
choices. It is not intended as medical advice or to diagnose,
prescribe, or treat any specific illness. If there is any
chance your child is seriously ill, take him or her to a qualified
health professional for evaluation.
Jane
Sheppard, a natural health researcher/writer for
over 15 years, is the editor of Healthy Child Online - providing
in-depth information to parents about natural health and alternative
medicine. Visit http://www.healthychild.com
for many articles, a free e-newsletter, natural health e-books,
and informative message boards for parents. E-mail editor@healthychild.com
 What
Do You Really Want for Your Children
by Wayne Dyer
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