(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

I remember one time when I did not know if she would make it. I lie. I remember several times when her breath would stop. This is it, I would weep. This is the end. Those moments, suspended between life and death, survival and demise, have haunted me. They prevent me from breathing as the fear of losing my mother as an eight-year-old, suffocates my nervous system.

I have panicked about health my entire life, knowing deeply as I do about the emotional toll it can take on children. This is personal. This is everything. It is really all we have. And so, as we think about what really matters, it is only this: Staying vital. Staying present. Staying alive.

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And so, where do we begin? Adults fall prey to illness because of what they experienced as children. There are innumerable scientific studies that link childhood trauma's relationship with adult illnesses, the most famous of which is the ACES Study by Vince Felitti and Robert Anda that looked at illness and its relationship with adverse childhood experiences, proving without a doubt that trauma as a child directly and powerfully impacts long term health.

It is in childhood that the key to long term health lies. And so, this is where I always begin.

We can heal as adults. And we must, so our children heal. But in this column, I will start with the basics so we can begin giving our children the gift of a perfect lifetime of health.

THE EMOTIONAL

Human beings have four key needs: to be seen, to be heard, to be loved and to feel safe.

When they fail to have any of these needs met, the body senses that survival is at threat and the nervous system goes into danger mode.

See Them: Slow down with your child. Observe him or her. See him or her. Stop the doing.

This requires hours of nothing. Of seeing what your child does of his/her own accord.

There are several personality measures that can help you understand your child better. If you would like help, reach out.

Hear Them: When your child communicates something with you that incites a reaction within, stop. Just listen. And repeat what they are saying.

Love Them: Connection is the key here. Just spend time with them. This does not mean you have to spend hours on end. Just as little as 20 minutes of quality time will suffice. When your children feel connected to you, they feel loved.

Help Them Feel Safe: This begins with safety in your own body. Children feel, they don't think; especially children under seven years of age.

THE PHYSICAL

What is he/she consuming?

I am not talking about only their food here, even though nutrition is the first step:

Make sure they are eating healthy, wholesome and unprocessed food, keeping sugar intake to a minimum.

What company are they keeping?

Who are the children they spend time with? Get to know the parents, look at their habits.

These influences can deeply impact their relationship with themselves.

What are they watching?

What shows do they watch? Do they have a phone? Social media?

How do you behave in front of them? What does your relationship with yourself and with others say about them?

CONNECTION WITH NATURE

We are a part of nature. The modern world has divorced us from what heals us: the Earth, sunlight and fresh air are replaced with turf, blue light from screens and air conditioning.

Our children spend little-to-no time in nature. And we wonder why they are sick.

Why are they anxious? What are they distracted? Why do they not listen?

Make sure that your child grounds, is barefoot, is free, looks at the sunlight, spends time under the moon, swims in the ocean and sits aimlessly under a tree. This is essential. Our bodies need it. Time in nature is non-negotiable. The benefits are manifold, from attention regulation to having an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, to better brain development. We become healthier, calmer, sleep better and are less stressed when exposed to the natural world.

Achieving perfect health is not as hard as we think it is, especially when it comes to our children. We can give them this most precious gift and it's never too late to start.

(Follow Kavita on conscious )

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