The focus of every parent is the welfare of their children. It is the goal of every parent to nurture their children in an environment of healthy well-being. Indeed, one of the challenges of parenting is putting their children’s health at the fore.
We have read a lot about children’s health on the internet, on social media, in magazines, and in health books. Interestingly, you may have overlooked the fact that, as parents, you also need to have your routine check-ups with your primary physician.
Hence, this post aims to enlighten you on the importance of keeping an eye on your health through routine visits with your doctor. Stay on this page as we delve deep into why health check-ups of parents impact their children’s health. Keep reading!
Why Children’s Health Is Important?
The challenge of parenting can never be understated. Our children demand special care and attention. Check out these facts.
Children have immune systems that aren’t fully developed. Hence, it isn’t surprising that they contract all sorts of illnesses at any time of the year. A high rate of school absenteeism is a reflection of the health conditions of our children
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One day your child goes home from school with a low-grade fever. As an immediate resolution, you would administer your self-medication regimen. Only to realize the next day that your child’s fever is a prelude to some serious underlying conditions.
What presents as a simple cough can result in long-term treatment of childhood asthma, or could be tuberculosis. What could just be a common cold at the onset gets complicated and becomes pneumonia in a few days. A minor cut and bruises, or skin allergies, can become infected and become serious immunity problems.
More often, we might just pass off these illnesses because we see them as normal to adults. We don’t give it much attention and serious thought. We would rather think that children can readily overcome their illnesses. We could become so busy with our other parenting responsibilities that we fail to set an appointment with their physician.
Unluckily, these illnesses may take a heavy toll on any child. Hence, this situation calls for the need to set an appointment with their good pediatrician or any health practitioner.
One interesting fact is that parents need to stay alive and healthy to be able to provide the best healthcare for their children. Therefore, it is in this light that parents need to have routine health check-ups with their primary physician.
Why Do Parents Need Regular Health Check-Ups?
Regular health check-ups of parents give tons of benefits for themselves which can affect their children’s health. Here is a list of a few reasons:
Parents Can Manage Their Health Conditions
Firstly, with routine health check-ups, parents can identify and manage their own health conditions. These health conditions can be as simple as managing blood pressure, allergies, or as serious as kidney or heart problems. Preventing or catching a developing cataract can also be assessed.
Routine tests for serum cholesterol level or glucose level can help identify risk factors that would otherwise remain unnoticed. Immunization status check is also important as adults usually need boosters for some vaccines such as tetanus.
Routine tests and check-ups are preventive care that parents need to give time and attention. Being aware of their health conditions can potentially impact their ability to care for their children.
It isn’t surprising that some adults dread going to the doctor. They have these subconscious fears that trace back in their tender ages. However, to be “responsible adults”, we have to take the responsibility to face our fears. Every parent takes this as a challenge for the sake of their children’s health.
Genetic Illnesses Get Managed
Secondly, with regular health check-ups, parents will be aware if their health condition can be genetically transmitted to their children. In this way, the children’s health will be managed early on before serious problems will arise..
Your child might experience an illness or disorder that can be attributed to genetics. It is best that the parents need to undergo a health check-up first to establish their illness before managing the illness of the child.
Research shows that few people are dying of cancer today due to regular check-ups while the screenings pick these killer diseases before they become untreatable. Every adult should have a physical exam at least once a year.
Eye check-ups are also equally important since some eye disorders are genetics in nature. Vision checks are recommended every two years for individuals who have no diabetes. If parents notice their children have vision problems, especially during their formative years, it is highly recommended that parents should visit their eye doctor.
Parents Get Immunization Updates
Thirdly, with regular health check-ups, parents stay updated on information about available immunizations which can protect themselves and their children, too.
Parents Can Discuss Their Children’s Health
Fourthly, regular health check-ups afford parents the opportunity to discuss their children’s health and well-being, particularly those that affect their growth and development. In this way, potential issues will be detected early on and if intervention is needed..
Parents Get Professional Guidance
Furthermore, regular health check-ups provide guidance to parents on their children’s health and development. Medical practitioners provide information on proper nutrition, prevention of illness, adequate physical activities, and health and safety concerns.
With proper guidance and information, parents can make informed decisions on their children’s well-being and development. Well-child visits can be scheduled appropriately.
Parents Are Role Models
And lastly, parents who make their health their priority will likely imbibe healthy habits into their children. Parents are role models to their children. By practicing healthy behavior, the children will readily follow. This may include the daily routine of good eating habits, regular physical activity, proper hygiene, and getting quality sleep.
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It is recommended that dental visits shall be done every six months. Dental visits include the routine prophylaxis both for adults and children. If parents give importance to dental health and hygiene, it won’t take time for the children to get into this mindset.
Are Adult Health Check-Ups Worth It?
“Do routine health check-ups ever end?” Well, no. They end when life ends. Conversely, you would continue putting gas in your car and doing maintenance routines while you have the car. That is if you want your car to be running well.
As a parent, your health is equally important as your child’s health. Engaged parents never miss their child’s dental appointment and routine physical examination yet many fail to schedule their own health check-ups.
Preventive healthcare doesn’t end in parenting or during planning a healthy pregnancy. We need to monitor our health throughout our lives. Despite passing on those great genes to your child, with fantastic immunity and a rockstar health profile, all the work isn’t done yet.
Nature needs nurture and as products of nature, we have the moral responsibility, both to ourselves and to society, to ensure that we tap into the vast medical knowledge and get checked out periodically.
Do Parents’ Stress Affect Child Health?
A common theme at many doctor’s visits is the challenges of parenting while earning a living. This can be very stressful and unless the adult addresses it either with their provider or with the child’s provider, it may lead to serious consequences for the family.
Day-to-day stress is very common and becoming prevalent especially among young families that are economically challenged. Managing everyday stress coupled with the added responsibility of child-rearing could be a stiff and tough task for parents who do not have the right kind of support system.
According to Dr. Walton of biopsychology and neuroscience, there is interesting evidence that suggests that a parent’s stress level can affect the child’s disposition, such as risk of mood disorders, addiction, and cases of ADHD and autism.
Indeed, the parent’s stress level is mirrored in the child that significantly impacts his behavior, and ultimately affects his growth and development. Based on this premise, parents need professional help in order to cope and manage their stress levels so that it should not affect their children.
The Takeaway
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Our kids are our future. In a macro perspective, the key to nation-building is a healthy young generation. This may be formidable but it should not sound daunting. And one way towards achieving this goal is to maintain a healthy environment and well-being as our children grow up.
Regular health check-ups of parents beget healthy children. Children are sponges, after all. They absorb their parents’ overall disposition and this primarily includes their health condition. Your child needs you to be as healthy as you can be to be able to properly take care of them.
Hope you find this information-rich post helpful and insightful for you and your family. Share it with someone who might need to visit his or her primary healthcare provider because you care about them.
We look forward to sharing with you our upcoming posts on related topics.
