Past Weeks:
This Week:
Physical Blessings!
Welcome to the last post of Bless Your Nest! I've had a lot of fun writing this series and I hope you've enjoyed reading it and have collected some tips on how to bless your family along the way! Thanks to all who've joined me! Let's get started on this weeks topic which is how to be a blessing physically to your family.
1. Basic Nutrition - As wives and mothers we're basically in charge of our families diets and when you think about it that's a huge responsibility! We need to make sure that we're preparing meals that are healthy, varied, and full of nutrients! Based on the new USDA Plate half of our food should be fruit and vegetables and the other half should be whole grains and proteins. We should also be including a few servings of dairy throughout the day. Here is the new USDA Plate:
Keeping healthy snacks in the house such as fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, yogurt, etc is such a blessing to your family. If they are filling up with nutrient dense foods instead of empty calories (sugars, refined carbs., etc.) then they will feel so much better! You may not get a thank you for always having carrots for you kids to snack on, but they will realize later in life what a blessing it was to them! Also try to include lean meats, veggies, and whole grains at every meal when meal planning.
2. A Good Night's Sleep - Getting enough sleep is so important for the health of your family, especially those growing kids! Sleep helps your body to restore itself and gain energy for the coming day. It also improves memory and brain function. Sleep has so many other benefits and I'm no scientist, but I know that if I don't get enough I'm lazy, cranky, and feel terrible the next day! We need to make sure everyone in our household is getting an adequate amount of sleep (including naps) every day. The family that get's enough sleep with be happier and healthier all around!
3. Model a Healthy Lifestyle - It's one thing to tell your kids to eat their vegetables and go to sleep on time, but are you practicing what you preach? Actions speak louder than words and your more likely to get your kids to accept the behaviors your teaching if your actually doing them yourself. Plus, you need to make sure your taking care of yourself first so you will have more energy later to take care of your families needs.
4. Go Outdoors - The benefits of nature are numerous. The air is cleaner, you get more vitamin D, your more apt to be active, your calmer and more at peace. Go here for additional information and benefits of being outdoors. Being active and taking your family outdoors is a great blessing to them!
5. Don't Over Commit - It's hard to say no sometimes, but the fact is as moms and wives we need to be available to our families first. We need to make sure all of our families needs are met and they're happy and comfortable before we go on to do any extra activities. This includes activities for children. Don't over commit yourself and your kids. Down time is good for the mind, body, and soul and is way more beneficial than always running from place to place.
6. Make Sure They're Comfortable - A good way to be a blessing to your family is by simply making sure they are comfortable. Did they get enough to eat? Do they have appropriate clothing on? Is it a comfortable temperature in the home? Are they getting enough rest? Do they feel safe? Making sure your families basic needs are met is a huge, but worthy task.
Well I think that's all for Bless Your Nest! I hope you've enjoyed following along and I'd love any feedback you'd like to give! Now let's all go and be a blessing to our families!
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