Teaching the essential facts of life to children

There is an urgent need to develop ways of teaching children to be healthy and happy, so we sat down with Sarah McCrum, the Director of the Academy of Potential Education to better understand what parents and educators can do to further support children's health.

Jimmy Allen: What are the most essential facts of life that kids should be learning while they are still young and living at home?

Sarah McCrum: There are two simple priorities which can transform every child's life and they can be taught while children are very young.

1. How to be naturally healthy.
2. How to prevent disease.

We now know a lot about health and there is much we can do to prevent all the major diseases. However this is highly pragmatic knowledge which is only effective if it is put into regular practice. If we want to effectively teach health to kids, we must give them education that actually changes their behavior. If you want to prevent heart disease it is simply not enough to know about exercise in theory. You need to exercise on a regular basis.

Jimmy Allen: So this is something we would be teaching kids long before we even talk to them about the "birds and the bees," correct?

Sarah McCrum: Yes. When parents decide to talk to their kids about 'the facts of life' it usually leads into one of those embarrassing situations (from the children's point of view) where parents feel it's their duty to make sure their children know how a baby is made.

The irony is that how babies are made is such a tiny part of the real 'facts of life'. We seem to forget that there are many more important facts that children need to know about life. The most important of these is health. Good health is the foundation for our quality of life. The healthier we are the better we function in all aspects of life and the earlier that children learn about health and prevention the higher their quality of life can become.

Jimmy Allen: The health "facts of life" that kids are now learning from their family, their teachers or books just doesn't seem to translate into reality for the kids.

Sarah McCrum: That is correct. Usually they learn something about the human body and organs and how they function. They may learn about healthy behavior - diet, hygiene, exercise etc. They may be given information about what they should and shouldn't do, especially in relation to sex, smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs. However if you look at youth health statistics it seems that while children may learn the facts, these frequently do not translate into action. The increase in obesity in children shows that the facts of healthy eating do not mean very much to young people. The levels of youth drinking, smoking and drug taking show that whatever information young people are provided with is not having the desired impact.

Jimmy Allen: How can educators and parents start to deliver health education that will have meaningful results to kids (or families) who just don't take health very seriously?

Sarah McCrum: If we want to deliver effective health education we need to change our approach to education so we measure changes in children's behavior rather than what they can memorize or write down on a piece of paper. The most useful knowledge in relation to health can only be measured in behavior and action. Words and information don't have any real meaning unless they translate into behavior.

As a society we know a lot about the facts of health, but our children are not as healthy as they should be. We urgently need to develop ways of teaching children to be healthy. This shouldn't be seen as a question of personal choice but as essential education.

We find it unacceptable that children come out of school unable to read and write. Every child is expected to be able to count and calculate. All young people learn the biological 'facts of life'. But health is more important than any of these. It should be viewed as more fundamental than numeracy and literacy. We need to make sure that children are unable to pass the subject of health until they are healthy. Health is a prerequisite for a high quality of life. We don't give children the right to choose whether they learn to read or write. There should be no choice as to whether they are healthy or not.

Jimmy Allen: That would mean a very big shift in education on the public level. How can parents begin that shift in their home in hopes of it eventually carrying over into public education?

Sarah McCrum: If you want to start now it is simple. Simply take one aspect of health that you feel is important for your children, for example eating more fruit and vegetables. First make sure you are setting a good example yourself. If not, set aside some time to sort out your own choices and behavior. Then begin to talk with your children about eating more fruit and vegetables. Be sure that you always have fruit and vegetables available at your regular mealtimes and for snacks. Honestly explain to them why it is good for them and how they will feel better because of their healthy choices. Never lecture them or get angry or emotional about it. Just confidently and persistently let them get the message that it is healthy to eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Always let them know why. You may have to repeat this regularly for a few weeks or months. But after a while you will see that they take on the healthy message for themselves. You may even see them teaching their friends (or their dolls and other toys) to eat more fruit and vegetables. This easy approach can be applied to all aspects of health and because it is experiential they will never forget. 

Jimmy Allen is the founder and director of the Inspirational Learning Academy in Sedona, Arizona. He provides learning programs for children and parents in order to reach higher potentials of health, happiness and peace in life. To learn more, call 928-300-7170, email: Jimmy@InspirationalLearning.org or visit www.InspirationalLearning.org

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