Monster Mornings

Watch the video with children and talk about Rosita and Rosa’s healthy morning routine. (Rosita is five years old, so the video shows some of the ways to integrate healthy routines for this age, though they can be adapted for younger or older children.) 

Developmental milestones are things children can do by a given age, such as crawling, walking, running, and jumping. Healthy routines can help children reach their milestones! On your own, consider the developmental milestones that Rosita is demonstrating: her brain is developed enough so that she can have back-and-forth conversations, remember three steps in a routine, and play a guessing game. And of course, a nutritious breakfast is part of making sure her body stays healthy.  

After you watch:

• Talk about what healthy breakfast food might be in Rosita and her mother Rosa’s bowls (it might be yogurt, fruit, eggs, cereal and milk, or oatmeal)! What are some other healthy breakfast foods? Check out these suggestions for tips on healthy breakfasts and serving sizes for little ones.  
• Check children’s understanding of what a routine is — it’s a list of things you do the same way every day (or often). You might replay the song at the beginning of the video, and sing along! Routines are a valuable way to build healthy habits that set children up for a lifetime of wellness. 
• Ask, “Did you guess what Rosita’s mom packed for her healthy snack? What clues helped you guess it?” 
• Ask children what else they do in the morning to start off their day in a healthy way. Do they have other ideas for things to do during your routine? You may add singing a morning wake-up song, stretching their arms up high when they get out of bed, opening the curtains to let the morning light in, or feeding a pet. 

Sometime this week at breakfast, you might reinforce and extend the ideas in the video by:  

• Talking together about your family’s special morning routines. What do children have for breakfast? What is their favorite healthy breakfast? What might they like to try?  
• Asking, “How do you help make breakfast? What else can you do to help?” 
• Explaining why it’s so important to start the day with a healthy breakfast. 
• Playing a guessing game like the one Rosita and Rosa played (what healthy snack or lunch has been packed up for the day?).