Wellness Cove has wellness workbooks for ages 5-9. We simply want to teach kids how to take better care of themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. Many of our health problems are related to lifestyle issues and are preventable. The best time for kids to learn about wellness is now! In our workbooks, we start by covering nutrition, exercise, and stress management.
First, we have to make some real changes in what we eat. The food industry has made processed food convenient and inexpensive. But we pay a price in the long run if we fall into their trap. Our workbooks focus on eating real food, not processed food, eating lots of plants (fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds), and eating mindfully. Nutrition is extremely confusing because everyone tells you something different. However, there is no disagreement on those three statements.
Next, our children have become more sedentary. As a kid, I played football with my friends until dark; now, kids play video games day and night. Our workbooks encourage kids to get outside and enjoy our planet. Only then will they want to take care of it. We teach kids the importance of moving, building strength, and flexibility. When you care for yourself physically, you can enjoy our beautiful earth.
Concerning mental health, we emphasize the importance of downtime and the importance of friends. We teach kids how to meditate and quiet their minds. Kids need to have friends to talk with. The importance of these social connections is immeasurable. We also teach them to use their brains. It should be fun to learn. If we can teach kids to love learning, school is much easier. We will also be setting them up for success in life. In addition, by eating well, exercising, and meditating, the brain is firing on all cylinders, and school is more effortless.
Eating well, exercising, and learning to manage stress are all critically important. However, to truly be happy and healthy, there is much more that we teach.
We teach kids to love their life, be grateful, and focus on all the good things in their lives.
We emphasize the importance of family. No family is perfect, but your family will always be there for you.
We emphasize the importance of friends. It is essential to feel like you belong. It is equally important for kids to help other kids, who might feel isolated, feel like they belong.
We teach kids to be themselves and let others be themselves, also. We are all different and have different strengths. Rather than trying to change each other, the Wellness Crew accept each other, work together, combine their strengths, and solve problems. And they have fun doing it.
Most importantly, we teach kids that God created them just as they are, loves them, and has a plan for them. They are here to help others and to help the planet. They are not "just kids."
Most of what we teach can be summarized in our 7 Guiding Principles, which the Wellness Crew came up with in Book 1 of the "Healthy Planet. Healthy Me" book series.
Our 7 Guiding Principles:
Love yourself and love others just as they are.
Enjoy this amazing planet
Chill every day
It's fun to learn and cool to be smart
Fuel your body with the nutrients that it needs
Treasure your family
Use your talents to help others and help the planet.
Why should you take responsibility for your child's health and education?
We have three big problems in this country. First, our healthcare system is failing us and our children. In the US, we focus on treating disease once it occurs rather than preventing it. For example, we have an epidemic of childhood obesity. 21% of children ages 6-11 are obese. * What are we doing to prevent this? Not a lot. Our children live off of processed food. They are glued to their electronics and are missing out on our beautiful planet. Our children's mental health is a bigger problem. Many children are stressed and confused. The incidence of suicide in children has increased significantly. We must make changes. There is too much at stake to ignore this any longer.
Second, some crazy things are being taught in our schools. Some schools seem more focused on teaching young kids about sex than teaching them to grow up happy and healthy. Parents must take responsibility for what their kids are learning. Nothing is more important than giving them the skills to grow up physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy. If this is not taught at school, teach it at home.
Third, our society has become more secular. Many are trying to take God out of our culture. We did not take God out of our workbooks. Our workbooks are not overly religious, but we acknowledge that a loving God has a plan for us. We want kids to know that God created and loves them just as they are.
Parents are the heroes:
In summary, our country has problems. Our healthcare system has it backwards. We need to focus on wellness, not illness. Our schools are not teaching our kids what matters most, how to grow up happy and healthy. Parents must take the bull by the horns and take responsibility for their kids' health and education. They must reach their kids before the food industry and social media reach them. Currently, our Wellness Cove Workbooks are for children ages 5-9. Please join us if what we are trying to teach kids makes sense. Together with your child, begin your wellness adventure. Parents like you are the heroes that this country needs.
*National Health Statistics Reports. No 158. June 14, 2021.
