Being physically active has great advantages, especially for kids. Children’s body is still growing, so you have to expose them to various activities that will help support their physical growth and development. This won’t be a problem for parents whose kids are extremely active and playful. Most of the time, children love playing, so you won’t need to worry about them being fit and active.
Unfortunately, some kids don’t want to play sports or try other physically straining activities. As a result, parents experience difficulties convincing their kids to participate in sports, exercise, or play outdoor games. If you are one of those who are having problems keeping your kids physically active, you are not alone.
According to a study, most kids nowadays don’t get enough exercise. Common culprits behind this issue include longer screen time, distractions from social networks, and playing games in cellphones, tablets, and other devices. Aside from this, some kids simply prefer to stay indoors because they got used to playing inside their homes rather than exploring the outdoors.
If your kids have this kind of behavior, you might want to change it using the following tips:
- Tempt them with gears and outfits—Children love trying new, colorful outfits, especially ones that look similar to their favorite characters. For instance, they love to wear superhero costumes. They love to look like their favorite Disney princesses. You can take advantage of this behavior. Tempt them to wear sports gear, such as Spyder boy’s ski jacket, or give them a complete set martial arts outfit.
- Show them how it’s done—It might also help if they can see you performing physical activities and playing sports. If you encourage them to go outdoors, yet you are always spending time on the phone, they might not feel motivated. If you can, join them while playing outdoors or ensure that they have your attention when playing. It’s also better if they see you playing sports or being physically active as well. Keep in mind that kids love imitating what adults do, so it’s best if you become their role model.
- Limit use of electronic devices—Provide a strict rule about limited screen time. Prevent them from watching too much television or playing on gadgets. Let them know why you are imposing such rules so that they will also understand why you are setting such restrictions.
- Guide your child to find the perfect sports for them—Let them watch a few games of different sports. It may be difficult to force them to try a particular sport, so let them try a few activities first. Let them decide which one they prefer and support them in every way possible.
Supporting our child’s growth and development is one of our responsibilities as parents. Thus, we have to do everything we can to ensure that they grow up and become healthy and responsible individuals. Inspiring them to enjoy physical activities or play sports is one way to do this.
Ask your kids if they want to try playing sports. If they don’t want to join sports events, you can simply inspire them to exercise or play outside. This can help them stay fit and active. Aside from this, they will have better chances of forming a wonderful friendship with other children. Make sure that you can guide them properly as they grow up so they will learn how to take care of themselves when they become adults.
