10 resolutions for a healthy family

This New Year, why not make some resolutions to keep your family healthy and happy - from giving more time to school activities, to buckling up safely in the car

Make sure immunisations are up to date

Provide your child with a tobacco-free environment

Indoor air pollution from tobacco increases the risk of ear infections, chest infections, and even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. If you smoke, seriously consider quitting. Remember, the most important indicator of whether your children will grow up to be smokers is whether you smoke. Make your home a smoke-free zone.

Read to your children every day

Start by the age of six months. Reading to children shows them the importance of communication and motivates them to become readers. As they get older, it also provides a context to discuss issues and learn what is on your child's mind.

Practice 'safety on wheels'

Make sure everyone in the car is buckled-up for every ride, with children in the back seat in age-appropriate child safety seats. All cyclists, skaters and skateboarders should wear helmets and pads where appropriate.

Do a 'childproofing' survey of your home

Go from room to room with a child's-eye view, removing all the potential hazards that await the curious toddler or preschooler. Think of poisons, small objects, sharp edges and objects, and places to fall.