By Entertainment News 
Being a kid can be tough at times so why not make your children’s lives easier by helping them look their best, or by their standards, what they call “cool.” Whether it is any old school day, a week at summer camp, a day at the park, or even that pesky day schools call Picture Day, kids should feel and look their best. This doesn’t have to be fancy. Simply taking a few minutes to straighten out your kids’ clothes and comb their hair is enough to make them feel ready to take on the day.
The Benefits Children Feel When They Look Their Best
While children might not yet grasp what a quick groom can do for them, studies show that later in life, looking good has several health and career benefits. One of those is raising overall self-confidence. When is that not a good thing? Taking a few minutes out of your day to make sure your clothes are ironed and your hair is not sticking up will immensely boost how you feel about yourself. In a single day, we walk by several opportunities to see our reflections. We pass mirrors, windows, glass doors, and dark storefronts. Of course, we take that glimpse to admire ourselves! It’s always a good feeling to see yourself and think, “I look good today!”
Feeling that you look your best can lead to a boost in overall happiness as well. Happiness goes hand-in-hand with self-confidence. The more confident you feel, the happier you will be. This, in turn, leads to better work performance and willingness to help others. It becomes a cyclical domino effect. Confidence breeds happiness, which leads to more accomplishments. This cycles back to increased feelings of confidence. Over time, this amplifies how others view you and your accomplishments. You’ll gain more respect and credibility for what you do.
To reach this level of self-confidence, it all starts with how a person feels about themselves. So start your kids young and instill that self-confidence with these tips to help them feel and look their best.
Custom Clothes
Custom apparel might be just the ticket your kids need to feel and look their best. This doesn’t have to be over the top, expensive clothes, but finding some custom design T-shirts can let them express their personalities and individuality. There are multiple benefits to selecting custom made clothing.
The first and most important reason to customize their wardrobe deals with how the clothes are tailored to the body. Clothes that fit properly will allow for a full range of motion without being too baggy. Well-fitting clothes make for clean lines and a polished appearance. For formal wear, pants should not ride up when sitting or standing unless your child plans to splash through puddles or wade through the high waters. Most skirts should come down to the knees or lower depending on the occasion. Long sleeve shirts should stretch down to the wrists and not wander up the forearm. If short sleeves are warranted, be aware of length restrictions and whether or not it is appropriate for bare shoulders. Collars should be ironed and allowed to sit comfortably around the neck. If your kids are feeling cheeky and want to have fun, let them pop the collar for a laugh.
Another benefit of custom apparel is knowing the quality of material used. Read the clothing tags or even request the kind of material you would like for your child to wear. Every person has their own preference. Two of the most commonly used material fibers are polyester and cotton. Polyester is more durable than cotton. Its fibers are wrinkle-resistant and rarely have to be ironed. They also retain colored dyes longer than other materials, which lengthens their lifespan. Cotton may be less durable, but its fibers are softer and feel more comfortable against the skin. Cotton clothing also breaths better if the child will be in a warmer environment. Both are suitable for custom clothing and often, a blend of polyester and cotton combines the benefits of both for a durable fabric that is soft to the touch.
Custom apparel can add to how your child feels. If the clothes fit properly and the material is comfortable, the result highlights personal style. It is a known fact that no two people are alike so why not accentuate your child’s uniqueness with their clothing choices. They can look their best while standing out from the rest.
Hair Style
Nothing can make a person feel more disheveled than when they’re hair is sticking up in all directions, or if they have to keep tossing hair out of their eyes. Help your child look their best by allowing them to style their locks as they please or get a haircut if in need. Childhood is the time to explore all the different things that can be done with hairstyles. From long hair to short, from curly to straight, from ponytails to bobs, the options are endless. If you and your child agree, try new colors or even hair extensions. If you’re at a loss for new things to try, check out any entertainment news site and you’re certain to find inspiration. Just like custom clothing, your child should have their own custom style that fits them.
Dental Care
Good oral hygiene is important to your child’s physical health and contributes to how they feel about themselves. Regular teeth cleaning appointments should be made every six months with the dentist to check for any signs of disease. Between visits, children should regularly brush and floss.
There are over 500 species of bacteria living in the mouth that work together to form plaque. Left undisturbed, this plaque is the precursor to more serious diseases. The space between your gums and teeth can accumulate more harmful bacteria leading to gingivitis. This can devolve into more serious conditions such as periodontitis or trench mouth. Anyone of these diseases, if left untreated, can make it easier for bacteria to enter the bloodstream and create a systemic infection.
In addition to the dentist, it may be necessary to visit an orthodontist that specializes in braces for kids. Pay attention to how your child’s teeth are growing and shifting. Losing baby teeth is normal, but if you start to notice overlapping of teeth, crowding, or unevenness in their bite, have them looked at by a professional. This is the time children should have any potential problems corrected.
Braces help realign teeth as they grow. Catching these problems early will help prevent pain later on in life and certain problems cannot be fixed once adulthood is reached. Braces work by applying steady pressure on the teeth that need to be shifted. Brackets are attached to teeth and strung together with wire. Rubber bands are added to help modify and customize which teeth need to be moved around. The brackets and rubber bands today come in all different colors so kids can pick their favorite patterns.
Good oral hygiene should be addressed first and foremost by brushing, flossing, and braces (if needed). Once the physical needs are met, then the cosmetic side can come into play. Routine brushing helps keep teeth white and shining. Much like having custom fit clothing, a white, straight smile will help kids feel and look their best. A smile is one of the first things people notice about a person and a clean one will make a good first impression. A white smile adds to self-confidence and a better mood. Smiling releases endorphins which make people feel good. When you feel good about your smile, you’ll show it off more and this, in turn, makes you more approachable. It also shows that you keep up with good practices in oral hygiene.
Health Plan
One of the best ways to help kids look their best is to come up with a schedule that includes regular physical activity. Entertainment news data from the Affinity Research Group estimated just over half of Americans access magazines digitally. This means many kids are spending more and more time behind screens, living sedentary lives. This enforces an unhealthy lifestyle that should be changed by encouraging kids to go outside and exercise. Be your kids’ personal health coach and provide them plenty of opportunities to get outside.
Kids are at a developmental age where regular exercise will develop cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness, bone density, and cardiovascular health. The World Health Organization suggests children between the ages of five and 17 should participate in 60 minutes of physical activity daily. This can range from moderate to intense workouts. The majority should be aerobic exercise, but muscle strengthening and exercises that increase bone density should be incorporated about three times a week.
In addition to the physical health benefits, much like smiling, exercise naturally releases the feel-good endorphins. This improves a person’s mood and brain functioning. For kids, in particular, regular exercise is also a chance for social interaction and to form bonds with people their age giving them confidence later in life.
Diet Plans
Nutrition is a key factor to help anyone look their best. It is hard to generalize a good diet for all kids because each person has different needs. Despite this quandary, one thing holds true — the Mayo Clinic recommends ensuring your kids are eating nutrient-dense food. Regardless of needs, all humans require vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and even fat.
Proteins should be lean meat, eggs, beans, or soy products. If your child is vegetarian or vegan, it is especially important to make sure they receive the necessary amount of protein from sources other than meat. Thankfully, today, there are many vegetarian and vegan friendly meat products that cover protein needs without the use of animal products.
There’s something to be said for having a colorful plate of food when it comes to fruits and vegetables. These can be fresh, canned, or frozen, just check labels to avoid any cans or juices that incorporate added sugar. Ideal grains include whole-wheat breads, oatmeal, and quinoa. Stray away from refined grains such as pasta or white bread. For dairy products, keep things fat-free or at least low-fat unless you have a reason not too. Added sugars and saturated or trans fats should be limited in the diet.
The one thing to remember is to provide a variety of these foods, don’t get stuck on just meat, or just vegetables. Keeping a variety present in the diet will help make sure nutrients are distributed throughout the body and the child will have the adequate energy to not only function throughout the day but also partake in the physical activity to help them look their best.
Why it’s Important to Help Kids Look Their Best
Life can be hard enough on kids as they begin to navigate through their school years so why not make a few things easier. Help them look their best and they will begin to gain the confidence and happiness needed to prosper as they grow. The studies show looking good can go a long way in building self-esteem.
Contribute to your child’s success by helping them pick out custom apparel unique to them and shows off their personal style. Allow them to get a hair cut before school starts or experiment with different hairdos and colors. Schedule any necessary appointments in case their teeth look concerning. It’s better to take them for a check-up sooner, rather than later. A white smile will boost their confidence even more. Sit down with them and develop a health plan of physical activity that fits their lifestyle. Encourage them to get up off the couch and away from screens to enjoy the outdoors. Finally, help them choose their food and eat correctly to avoid unnecessary weight gain or energy loss that comes from eating over-sugared foods.
Encouraging children to look their best doesn’t have to be hard. It’s evaluating what they need, providing them with the opportunities to make it happen, and setting a good example with your own actions.