The high calling of parenthood is filled with daily decisions you make on behalf of your children. .What can you do to help them to be healthy and intelligent? How can you assist them to deal with life’s many rough challenges?

Natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola agrees that raising children isn’t a walk in the park. The good news, however, is that there are surefire ways to ensure your child’s optimal health.

Dr. Mercola provides these 10 tips for a healthier child:

1. Give your child a head start in life. Supplement with krill oil before and during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. The DHA and choline in this supplement has been proven to be critical for brain development and IQ. “Your child is wholly dependent upon you to provide those nutrients through at least the first three months of life,” says Dr. Mercola.

   Incidentally, krill oil also supports your mental outlook and overall health during and after pregnancy.

2. Breastfeed your child for as long as possible. Infants receive DHA from your breast milk. Dr. Mercola recommends you continue breastfeeding through the first year at a minimum.
3. Schedule your child’s activities. Help your child understand time and routines through a dependable schedule: regular mealtimes, bedtime, and more. “They like things this way because it gives them a sense of security,” Dr. Mercola adds.
4. Give your child a diet rich in high-quality, organic meats and vegetables. As early as possible, train your child’s taste buds to like vegetables. Avoid sweets, foods with artificial flavors and preservatives, and high-fructose corn syrup at all costs.
5. Encourage your child to get daily exercise. Make fitness and exercise a special bonding activity for the family. Go for walks, ride bikes, and play badminton. The possibilities for fun are endless!
6. Provide clean air at home. Avoid smoking cigarettes and using toxic cleaning products. “If your home was built before 1978, test for lead paint hazards,” Dr. Mercola advises.
7. Strengthen your child’s immune system through probiotics. You’ll feel more at ease, especially when a new virus hits your child’s school.
8. Avoid using detergents, soaps, and shampoos with toxic ingredients. Ditch products that contain chemicals like parabens, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), acrylamide, and propylene glycol. They are NOT worth the risk.
9. Do your homework on immunizations. “The health risks simply outweigh the benefits for many vaccines – be fully informed of any risks before you make any decision on vaccines,” says Dr. Mercola.
10. Let your child go outside and bask in sunshine. Expose him or her to sunlight for at least 15 minutes per day, preferably at midday. “This will optimize his or her vitamin D levels, thereby positively influencing immunity and overall health,” Dr. Mercola says.

You may be providing krill oil, clean air, and fun exercises for your children, but are you also giving them a happy, nurturing home? At the end of the day, family life will have a profound influence on their health. Shower your children with love, respect, and affection. Raise them in an environment that will bring out the best in them.