They’re Watching More Than We Think

A few weeks ago, my 19-year-old daughter joined me for a photo shoot for the wellness company I represent.

At some point during the day, I looked over at her standing in front of the camera and had one of those full-circle mom moments that catches you a little off guard.

For her entire life, wellness has simply been part of our family culture. She grew up watching me exercise, talking about nutrition, reading labels and paying attention to the ingredients in the products we bring into our home. She knew why I might choose one product over another and that sometimes a better choice was as simple as swapping something we were already buying. Not perfectly. Not obsessively. And certainly not fearfully. Just intentionally. And somewhere along the way, without a formal lesson or lecture, she was learning.

As parents, we spend a lot of time thinking about what we need to teach our children. We remind them to eat their vegetables, get outside, drink their water, wear their sunscreen and get enough sleep. But I wonder if some of the most important lessons are the ones they absorb simply by watching us. They notice whether movement is something we enjoy or something we dread. They hear how we talk about our bodies. They see what goes into the grocery cart, what sits on the bathroom counter and what we use to clean our homes. More importantly, they learn whether taking care of themselves feels complicated—or simply like a normal part of life.

I don’t believe creating a healthier home requires perfection. And I certainly don’t believe wellness should be rooted in fear or an endless list of things we’re not allowed to eat, use or enjoy.

I believe it’s about awareness.

For our family, one way I’ve practiced that is by shopping through a wellness store that makes it easier for me to choose thoughtfully formulated nutrition, personal-care and household products. It isn’t the only way to create a healthier home. It’s simply one of the habits my daughter has watched me practice consistently: learn a little more, read the label, and when it makes sense, make the smarter upgrade.

Now she’s 19, beginning her own adult life—and I’m getting to watch her make those choices for herself.

That photo shoot reminded me that our children won’t necessarily duplicate everything we do. Nor should they. But we have the opportunity to give them a foundation strong enough to make thoughtful choices when we’re no longer making those choices for them.

This fall, as backpacks are packed, calendars fill up and family routines begin again, perhaps the best question isn’t only: What healthy habits am I teaching my kids?

Maybe it’s an even simpler one: What are they learning by watching me?