By: Divya Joshi, M.D., MMM, chief medical officer, Miller Children’s | Starting the New Year is a great time to get your family thinking about making improvements. Setting health and safety resolutions together can help support the family to stick to their healthy and happy resolutions. Try a few of these resolutions with your family!

    Healthy Resolutions

  • Get Active – Plan nightly 30-minute walks after school and work and plan at least one outdoor activity every weekend that gets the heart rate up – like picking up the kids from the school bus, playing with the dog, doing some yard work, getting involved in community activities or washing the car.
  • Get Plenty of Sleep – Set kids on a routine sleep schedule and stick to it. Parents also should try to stick to a similar routine sleep schedule.
  • Drink More Water –Get a reusable BPA-free water bottle and drink water instead of soda.
  • Eat Healthier Together – 1. Sit down together for meals. 2. Eat slowly. Listen to your body and stop eating when you are not hungry anymore. 3. Remember: the healthiest diet is one that is mostly plant based and colorful! Carrots, spinach, blueberries, strawberries are all colorful vegetables and fruit.
  • Relax & Stay Stress-Free – When you feel stress coming on, take four slow, deep breaths in and out, then return to the stress-causing activity. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment and the way you deal with problems.
    Medical Resolutions for Children with Chronic Conditions

  • Get A Medical Bracelet – Medical bracelets contain information about your child’s allergies, health conditions and current medications. Your child can wear this on their wrist, around their neck or attached to their shoe laces. Ask your child for help with choosing a design that they will wear.
  • Keep Health Information Organized – Keep your child’s complex medical needs and history organized. Kids with complex medical care often see many specialists and have multiple appointments, medications and treatment routines. The Family Resource Center at Miller Children’s offers notebooks to organize your child’s information.
  • Stay Up-to-Date on Vaccines – There are many life-threatening infectious diseases – such as pertussis, diphtheria, mumps and measles. These diseases are now largely preventable because of vaccines, but if children are not fully immunized, your child can end up with a preventable illness.
  • Parents Make A Difference – Miller Children’s encourages parents to share their experiences to improve the hospital stay for other patients and families. Call (562) 933-8044 if you would like to hear about way to get involved at Miller Children’s.

Even though 2014 snuck up on all of us, it isn’t too late to make healthier and safer lifestyle changes for you and your family. Sit down together and see what you can do as a family to live this next year to the fullest.