Kids and Family Health

Help your child learn good habits

Here’s a short tip sheet of 10 Healthy Habits , in English and Espanol.

Write down goals and action steps for yourself and keep track of how often you reach them.

Your children can do it, too!

Could a health coach help me?

Keeping your family on track with their health goals is important. And sometimes, you need a little help. A health coach can help you and your family work towards wellness goals, find new coping strategies, and keep on track.

Learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s health coaching sessions for raising healthy kids and more.

Raising active kids

Being active helps you be healthier and stronger — and feel your best — at every age.

Want your family to be more active together?

• In Portland, play in the streets during Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente, a series of free events opening the city’s largest public space – its streets – to walk, bike, roll, and play.
• Write down different activities on slips of paper and keep them in a “Get Up and Move” jar you can go to for ideas.
• Check your area park and recreation districts for activities and events.
• Try GoNoodle for lots of fun, short activities.
• Follow @HealthyLivingNW on Twitter for suggestions to get out and about.

Encourage your kids’ schools to make physical activity a priority. Thriving Schools has some good tips and resources.

Encouraging smart food choices

Good nutrition is fundamental to healthy living.

• Find an eating style that works for your family and fits your everyday life.
• Check out this webinar and related resources on overweight children and “Helping Without Harming.”
• Help your family with who-when-how much of eating with the Divisions of Responsibility.
• Promote healthy eating at your kids’ schools with these tips and strategies from Thriving Schools.
• Food for Health has recipes and short essays about food and nutrition. There are also links to related sites, including these cooking videos, some featuring child helpers/testers.
• Being a picky eater is common among young children. These tips can help you deal with it in a positive way.

Watch these fotonovelas for health tips

Please watch these fotonovelas:

• Be Smart, Turn the TV Off
• Family Fun Brings Us Together
• Healthy Eating with My Family

Por favor vea esta fotonovelas:

• Hagase un Favor, Apague el Televisor
• La diversion en familia, une a la familia
• A Comer Bien con mi Familia

How do I help my teenager stay healthy?

Helping your child through the teenage years can be a daunting task. They’re growing up, their bodies are changing, and they’re more emotional about what you may consider to be the smallest things. This makes trying to keep their unique health needs on track is a tough, but manageable, job.

Learn more about how to guide your teenager to a healthy lifestyle.

Keeping baby healthy

Helping your newborn have the best start in life is essential. From breastfeeding and bathing to how to calm your newborn, ensuring best total health from day one is critical.

If you are a Kaiser Permanente Northwest member, choose a doctor for your baby.

Learn more about how to care for your newborn and yourself.

When your baby sends signals that she’s hungry or full, it’s important to respond promptly — and in a way that’s warm and loving. This is called “responsive feeding” — watch a video or read a handout about it. When your child is a little older, watch this video for tips about infant feeding and starting solid foods. You can also read these tips for introducing solids.

Your prevention plan

Staying well by preventing or delaying disease is possible with kids’ health screenings and immunizations. Prevention plans can be tailored to every member of your family.

Learn more about preventive care services.

Kaiser Permanente members can sign up to Act for a Family Member — order prescriptions, send email, and view lab results and other health info of a family member.