If you’re new here or in case you haven’t noticed yet, I believe that we all need to take charge of our lives and our children’s health. That may mean doing exactly what your child’s doctor says or taking the road less traveled. Either way, it definitely means being involved in their health, making informed choices, and understanding what’s going on with your child’s body.

Now you may be thinking, “Where on earth do I start!” 

Parent’s who are responsible for their child’s health have certain habits that got them there. They did certain things to become experts in this area.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve been on my own journey to better health. Was I sick before? No, but I wasn’t healthy either. I was definitely on the path that can lead to sickness. Now I’m on the same journey again, only this time it’s for my kids, and I thank God daily that I’ve came across this information and this lifestyle before having kids so that I could do the best I can for them.

Over the coming months we will learn in more detail about each of these habits, but for now, let’s just start with the road map. If we’re going to stand up and take charge of our health, then below are the steps we’ll need to take.

I’ll call them a way of life.

They’re our guiding principles – an operational manifesto, if you will.

They make up the foundation of Growing Up Herbal. They make up the beliefs and attitudes that guide every natural mama who’s “grown up” their children’s health.

Make them your own, and watch what happens!

The 15 Habits Of Natural Mamas Who Take Charge Of Their Children’s Health (aka… The Growing Up Herbal Operating Manifesto)

1. Try new things. In order to take charge of your child’s health, you’re going to have to let go of “traditional”. You’re going to have to be open to learning about new things. That’s how we as a people have grown. If we never tried anything new, if we continued to do things the same way, we’d still be using the bathroom in a hole in the ground and making our clothes from animal skins. Live outside of your comfort zone, and don’t underestimate the importance of being a beginner.

2. Know your children. You know your child best. Not your BFF, not your doctor, not the blogger 1000 miles away. You know if something is going on with your little one because you’re mom. You can see it. You can feel it. Trust your intuition. If something is off, you’re probably the first to know. Don’t ignore it. Look into it. Get to know what’s going on with your child’s body. When does your child feel best during the day? What things make them feel sluggish? When do they break down? Know your child! You are mama!

3. Learn from those around you. Be observant. If there are people around you who have raised their children a certain way, what are the results that have come from their choice lifestyle? What can you learn from that? Talk to them. Every interaction is a chance to learn something that either fires you up or makes you want to run away. Knowing one is just as beneficial as the other. Embrace your surroundings, learn from them, and make a choice.

4. Assume there’s another way. Don’t do things just because everyone else says you should or because that’s what we do now-a-days (see the Mark Twain quote above). Find out the “why” behind it and make the choice to do it or not to do it for yourself. If you choose not to do something, know why, and search for an alternative to getting the results you’re after. Remember, you are here for a purpose and so is your child. In order to fulfill that purpose, you both are going to have to feel good enough to do it. Health matters!

5. Take it one day at a time. Learning about nutrition, health, the body, sickness and disease, modern medicine, and alternative therapies is a never-ending process. Implementing what you learn is a daily choice. Take it one day at a time. Take one step and then another. Never feel that you have to do everything all at once. And know that keeping things simple and easy will take you further than overwhelming yourself with everything all at once.

6. Be in a continual state of learning. Life is an adventure. It’s a series of trial and error. If you want answers you have to search for them. No one person knows what’s best for your child. Like I said before, you know them best. You know when they feel good and when they feel bad. You know when something isn’t right. Other people may have great insight, but they’re a part of your team, not the captain of it. You’re the captain. You’re the head honcho. The more you search, learn, experiment, and test, the more answers you’ll find.

7. Be open-minded. Some things you come across are going to go against the grain. They’re going to be totally opposite of what you’ve always heard and known to be right. They may not make sense… at all… at first. The trick is to break down those walls of resistance you’ve built and to be open-minded enough to take a closer look before making a quick decision. Give it a try. See for yourself. You never know what doors of opportunity you’ll open.

8. Believe in yourself. Know why you want to take charge of your child’s health. Do you think there’s a better way? Are you sick and tired of seeing your kiddo being sick and tired? Do you see friends and family members children struggling with health problems that don’t need to be? Why do you want to take this journey with your child? You can do it, but it’s a choice and the choice is yours to make.

9. Practice makes perfect. Like anything in life, the more you do it, the easier becomes, and the better you get at it. It’s the same with your child’s health. The more you learn, the more you implement into your life. You take what you can do at the moment, and you leave out the rest.

10. Pick your surroundings wisely. From the food you feed your child to the habits of the friends they’re around, the things you surround your child with will influence them for better or for worse. If their surroundings are encouraging, they’ll be encouraged and motivated to make good choices. If their surroundings are tempting, they’ll be negatively influenced and more likely to make choices that aren’t so good for them.

It’s also helpful if those around you are on board with your choices and are willing to help influence your children in a positive way. Like Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. There’s no room for doubters and discouragers. Now obviously, this habit can be a struggle if dad or if your mom or mother-in-law aren’t totally with you, but give it time. Stay patient. Keep your temper. Be a good influence and share the information you learn with them. You never know. You may win them over too!

11. Focus on the journey, not the end result. Like anything, learning about health and healing takes time, but the journey itself is so rewarding. It may feel like you’ll never get there. You may think you’ll never learn it all. It may seem that you can never do all you’re supposed to do. Sometimes it’s the process, not the outcome that matters. Embrace the process and everything looks brighter!

12. Welcome change. How else are you going to make things happen. In order to make anything better, change must happen. Your job is to be open to it and expect it.

13. Model excellence. Who’s already doing what you want to do? No matter what the goal you have in life, there’s almost always someone else who’s doing it and is where you want to be. Find them, learn from them, and make their success your success.

Find models for everything in life. Take note of the good and the bad. Adopt the good and drop the bad. With the right models the possibilities are endless.

14. Teach others. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Take one thing that you’ve learned, break it down, simplify it, and then share it with a mom friend of yours. It doesn’t really matter who it is though. It could be your best friend, your cat, or yourself in the mirror. Just repeating it with help solidify it in your mind. Be generous with your knowledge and always strive to help others.

15. Take action on what you learn. None of the above matters if you don’t get out and do something with it. Nothing will result from reading a book, a blog post, or having a conversation with the newest health guru. The outcome doesn’t happen through the learning. It happens in the action you take as a result of the learning.

Learning is a very important step, but it’s just the first step. Action must follow for the learning to mean something. Everything here at Growing Up Herbal comes back to this. You have to take action. Just start.

Habits define outcomes.

These are the habits of mamas that get things done… the ones that make a difference. Practice these daily. Make them routine. They are the groundwork of what’s to come.

Get them right and the outcomes will leave you satisfied.

You’re child’s good health won’t last forever. It’s time to get a move on it and take charge of their health so the next 10 years or more are the best they can be.

Now it’s you’re turn – what are your thoughts?

This is a community and I want to know your thoughts. I take comments very seriously, I respond to each and every one of them, and sometimes I even use your ideas in future posts. Please share at least a sentence and add to the community. 

What beliefs about your child’s health do you live by? What are you struggling with? Leave it in the comments below. I’m here to help you in any way I can.

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