Listen Up

Health.

What does that mean?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as, "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (Who, 2003). I believe these are things parents would want for their children. By this definition I want health for my children. As this blog is about ensuring the health of our children, of our future, I want to help my readers understand what being healthy includes.

Physical well-being: absence of pain and presence of safety. I want to do everything possible to make sure my children are 1. not hurting and 2. safe. This requires a lot of research! From the moment you decide to become a parent - or find out you are expecting - you have choices to make. Choices that are best made after educating yourself about the pros and cons of each necessity. These choices begin while your baby is growing in the womb, what vitamins to take, what to eat, drink, how to sleep. They continue as you prepare for the babes arrival, how and where to give birth, breastfeeding education, creating a safe spaces for baby in your home, postpartum support for mom and baby. Once baby arrives, what products to use, to clean your child with, to dress them in, diapers, medicines, what to feed them, what kind of car seat to buy. We cannot control everything, but there is so much information available aren't we, as parents, responsible for doing the best for our children, giving it our all. It continues as they quickly grow, how to teach, how to keep them safe and free from pain. Every child is different, every parent is different, you must make the choices that are right for your family. You can make these choices while being mindful of their impact on your child's future and the world.

Mental well-being: Let's return to WHO for an elaboration, "mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community" (WHO, 2013). To keep your children healthy it is the job of a parent to help your child learn and grow, not just physically, but mentally as well. Much of this learning is passive, a child learns how to deal with stress by seeing how mom and dad handle stress. I will openly admit I struggle with this, but knowing where you are weak helps you become strong, helps you grow, encourages you to learn more. How beautiful our society would be if every parent took it upon themselves to show their child, to lead them to mental health.

Social well-being: What is it? According to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) social well being is, "an end state in which basic human needs are met and people are able to coexist peacefully in communities with opportunities for advancement. This end state is characterized by equal access to and delivery of basic needs services (water, food, shelter, and health services), the provision of primary and secondary education, the return or resettlement of those displaced by violent conflict, and the restoration of social fabric and community life" (USIP). As a parent, as a human, I am on my soapbox shouting for social well-being. I am fortunate enough to live in a time and space where the majority of people I see on a daily basis have these things. However if we open our eyes and learn more about our world we find many people around the world do not have social well being, including people in our own town. I want my children to see me fighting for social well-being.

We all want our children to be healthy. There are infinite combinations of ways to lovingly parent and no one can make these decisions for you, nor should anyone judge you for your choices. You can make educated choices to provide the best health for your child, and being open to learning from others is a very important part of parenting and growing.

References.

USIP. http://www.usip.org/guiding-principles-stabilization-and-reconstruction-the-web-version/social-well-being. Accessed January 22, 2013.

WHO. 2003. http://www.who.int/about/definition/en/print.html. Accessed January 22, 2013.

WHO. 2013. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/index.html. Accessed January 22, 2013.