Parenting has never been simple and it seems to only get harder with new technology. These days we have to worry about our kids become lethargic and inactive on top of everything else. Since these seem like problems only affecting our generation, we can’t always go to our parents or grandparents for answers. Lucky for us, we do have the internet and tons of professionals to guide our way! Follow these five rules to keep your kids active and you’ll be ahead of the curve.
Sports Aren’t Everything
Just because your kids play football or basketball doesn’t mean they’re extremely active. Practices can be postponed and sometimes practices are group activities each member takes a turn, resulting in less activity overall. Try to take a more active approach to your children’s sports practices, or even take practice home, too. Very rarely are kids over-active!
Keep Things Fun
Try not to worry about making things done the right way or having a million rules for activities at home. Make a game that your kids makeup or organize. It may not make a ton of sense, but they’ll have lots of fun creating something new and playing it. If you’re throwing the football and they get distracted by a bug, let them chase it or have fun. As long as they’re being active that’s always a win!
Turn Off the TV
Now, this is a big one. If you want your kiddos to get off the couch and go outside and play, the TV is a big roadblock. Especially when they see parents enjoying TV, they feel more inclined to do so as well. As parents, we sometimes forget our kids want to copy everything we do! Try to limit TV for the kiddos so it doesn’t get out of hand. Watch out for educational TV as well, because only very few shows actually have educational opportunities.
Play Dates with Friends
Speaking of the way things used to be, this was a daily activity in most of our lives. Running through the neighborhood from dawn until dusk. Kids have so much fun, run off all of that energy and develop and maintain relationships! We can’t really let our kids run free without fear of danger or being put in harm’s way. However, setting up playdates with families in the neighborhood is a great alternative. Try to get a big group of kids together and take turns at people’s houses. This also gives you a break every now and again!
Praise When Necessary
Kids develop and excel at different rates. Your youngest might learn things month before your oldest. It’s a way of life and is nothing to be ashamed of! Instead of drilling your kids to try to work harder at what they lack, start simpler. Instead of having a kid trying to run and dribble to shoot a goal, try dribbling in place. Foundational learning is key to helping your kids excel, and enjoy sports and active activities.
By just helping out our kids a little bit, we can improve their daily lives and make sure they’re happy and healthy! Physical activity is a must in all of our lives and it’s important to make sure we’re getting enough. What are some of your tips for keeping your kids active? Leave your comments below!
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