Style: August 03, 2018

52 STYLE | home
AT HOME
WITH YOUR HEALTH
Healthy living starts by creating habits that inspire the whole family, all year round.
Words Korey Gibson
We’re quite fortunate in New Zealand to be blessed
with relatively mild winters. Even still, we find
ourselves in hibernation mode when the colder months hit
and, during the past few years, while raising two daughters
who are full of beans, I’ve experimented with the following
to ensure we resist the urge to sit still and instead keep our
family’s wellbeing front and centre.
GROW WITH NATURE
No one can deny the stress-relieving properties of nature.
The more we can integrate the outside inside, the better.
Start by thinking about what edibles you can grow inside
during the winter. Get the kids involved growing tomatoes
and herbs, such as rosemary, coriander and mint. Those
are all hardy options that don’t require too much attention.
The children’s involvement in planting will mean they are
more likely to be enthusiastic when it comes to eating
them post-harvest, too.
INTRODUCE NO TECH ZONES
I say this one to everyone. It’s probably going too far
to say ban cell phone use in the house. We all need to
communicate and it’s good for us to keep in touch with
whanau far and wide. If you’ve got teens who are glued to
their phones, pick a spot in the house where the tech is off
limits – the dining room or the kitchen are perfect choices
as they’re spaces the whole family comes together. Just like
shoes, leave the phones at the door.
DESIGNATE A PLAY SPACE
No matter your age, play is needed. Smiling, laughing and
boosting creativity should be a priority in our lives as a way
of shaking some of the daily stresses. When the family is
young, this could be something as simple as building blocks
or puzzles – by leaving the ‘toys’ out it’ll prompt you to
think about when you last played and start making it a
habit. As your family ages, introduce the board games that
you grew up with. A little nostalgia goes a long way and
they don’t make them like they used to!