Building Lifelong Healthy Habits One Simple Step at a Time: Encouragement for Homeschool Families

ByHomeschool OT

If you’re anything like me you know how overwhelming it can feel to encourage healthy habits—especially when those habits are wrapped up in nutrition, movement, and self-care. Maybe you have a child who resists every attempt at “let’s go for a walk,” or maybe you’re not sure how to balance celebrations, sports practices, and family routines with making healthier choices.

Making Health Simple (Even When Life Isn’t Simple)

This year, we had the privilege of learning from Ashton Tate—a self-proclaimed innovator in the homeschool space and, more importantly, a real example of transformation. Ashton’s journey didn’t start in a gym or as a child athlete with perfect eating habits. In fact, by high school, he was struggling with his health and confidence, not quite sure what his body needed to thrive. Through his story, we were reminded that most of us—parents and kids alike—are never actually taught how to listen to our bodies or how to build foundational habits.

What struck me was the reality he painted—not a serene, perfectly organized household where everyone gleefully chooses carrot sticks over cookies, but a lived-in story of trial, error, and discovery. Amidst the busyness and complexity of family life, Ashton learned (and now teaches others) to keep things simple and approachable.

Meeting Our Kids Where They Are

Picture your homeschool day: Some kids bouncing off the walls, others reluctant to join in, and still others needing specific encouragement just to try new foods. The “organized chaos” is real, isn’t it? But within that, there’s opportunity—not for perfection, but for progress.

Ashton encouraged us to get curious together with our kids. Instead of laying down rigid rules, ask questions like, “Are you really hungry or just bored?” or “Does your body feel ready to move, or do you need rest right now?” This kind of gentle, collaborative approach helps children develop an internal awareness—what occupational therapists call interoception—and puts them in the driver’s seat of their own well-being.

The FORM Method—Four Pillars, Countless Possibilities

Here’s where Ashton’s method really shines. Rather than chasing the latest health trend or struggling to keep up with conflicting advice, his FORM curriculum boils healthy living down to four essential pillars:

  1. Functional Fitness: Simple, consistent movement routines in everyday life—not boot camps or strict regimens, but regular activity as a family.
  2. Optimal Nourishment: Viewing food as both fuel and fun. Making balanced meals accessible, learning what foods help us feel our best, and celebrating together sometimes too.
  3. Rest & Recovery: Building in preventative, proactive rest for the whole family. (Let’s model this, moms and dads—you matter here, too!)
  4. Multiplied Maintenance: Building community, setting goals, and supporting each other so these habits last—not as a short-term fix, but as seeds planted for adulthood.

No matter where your family is starting from, focusing on these four can remove so much stress and confusion.

Adapting for All Ages and Abilities

Just as with multifaceted handicraft projects (imagine sewing with toddlers and teens at the same table!), healthy living requires adaptability. One child may be diving into new activities with excitement, another may need more encouragement, and a third may prefer observing until they’re ready. Sometimes, the best progress happens when we allow older siblings to model choices (like picking a new veggie to try together) or let younger kids set the pace with family walks or meal prep.

As Ashton reminded us, progress is the goal—not perfection.

A Few Practical Tips for Your Family Table

  • Model curiosity: Instead of giving orders, ask: “What does your body need right now?” and share your own answers out loud.
  • Routine over rigidity: Establish simple, doable habits together—stretch before a snack, pick veggies for taco night, or have a quick “rest break” after lunch.
  • Community and accountability: Bring in outside resources, whether it’s Ashton’s FORM curriculum, a family friend, or an online group. Sometimes hearing it from someone else helps our message stick.
  • Reflect and encourage: Celebrate small wins. Did your child try a new food? Did you all manage a peaceful morning stretch? That’s success!

Planting Seeds for a Lifetime

When things feel overwhelming—or your kids resist every healthy change—remember: what you’re doing matters. These lessons may not produce immediate, dramatic results, but over time, you’re giving your children tools that will carry into adulthood. The knowledge, the questions, the shared routines—all of these become seeds for them to draw on as their lives grow and change.

Take it from Ashton (and from one homeschooler to another)—you don’t have to do it perfectly. The most important thing is to start simple, stay curious together, and know that even in the chaos, you’re building a foundation that will last.

Let’s keep encouraging each other—and our kids—along the way.

OT is IN #75: Teaching Kids Healthy Habits: Building Lifelong Wellness

I am joined by Ashton Tate, a passionate innovator in the homeschool community and creator of the FORM curriculum. Ashton takes us on a deeply personal journey, sharing how his own struggles with health, self-confidence, and weight in his teen years inspired him to transform not only his life, but the lives of countless children and families across the country.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

  • Ashton’s Health Transformation Journey
  • Issues with self-confidence and health during middle and high school
  • Struggling with weight and lack of health knowledge
  • Major personal transformation: losing 130 pounds by graduation
  • Influence of mentors and support systems
  • Building a Career in Health and Fitness
  • Initial interest in helping others through personal training
  • Switching college degree to focus on health
  • Founding a home gym and building a local training facility
  • Transition to Online Health Education and Curriculum Development
  • Challenges of in-person training during COVID-19
  • Recurring feedback from adult clients: wishing they’d learned these principles as kids
  • The inspiration to create a health curriculum for children
  • Creation and Structure of the Health Curriculum for Kids
  • Collaborating with curriculum writers and kids’ authors
  • Making health concepts simple and accessible for younger audiences
  • Development of an online platform for families and schools nationwide
  • The Role of Occupational Therapy and Body Awareness
  • Overview of occupational therapy in the context of homeschool and health
  • Defining body awareness and its relationship to fitness
  • Discussion of cultural pressure and guilt around fitness
  • Understanding Hunger, Nutrition, and Interoception
  • Ashton’s personal experiences with food habits and cues during adolescence
  • The challenge of distinguishing hunger, thirst, and emotional states in children
  • Introducing interoception and its role in fitness and nutrition
  • Teaching Nutrition: “Food as Fuel” and “Food as Fun”
  • The importance of balancing healthy eating with occasional treats
  • Methods for helping kids become intentional and mindful about food choices
  • Using analogies (like cars needing fuel) to explain nutrition to children
  • Practical Strategies for Families
  • Emphasizing simplicity in health routines and messaging
  • Navigating conflicting nutrition advice and keeping it approachable
  • Sharing personal anecdotes (like sports nutrition questions from Connie’s son)
  • The FORM Curriculum: Four Pillars for Healthy Living
  • Explanation of the FORM methodology:
    • Functional Fitness: Routine movement and physical activity
    • Optimal Nourishment: Balanced nutrition and healthy eating habits
    • Rest and Recovery: Preventive routines for sleep and stress management
    • Multiplied Maintenance: Maintaining habits through community, goal setting, and support
  • Encouraging long-term health habits over quick fixes
  • Addressing Resistance and Engagement in Kids
  • Occupational Therapy Strategies for Increasing Body Awareness

Links and Resources From Today’s Show

Connect With Our Guest, Ashton Tate

Ashton Tate is the founder of Glory to Glory Fitness in Nashville, TN and the creator of The F.O.R.M. Curriculum. He partners with homeschool families all over America to help them approach health and PE from a Biblical worldview. His mission is to equip and empower homeschool families so every student in America can have a quality health education. His work has been featured in publications such as USA Today and Fox News.

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