How to Encourage Your Child to be Active
How to Encourage Your Child to be Active
It’s becoming more and more difficult to encourage children to get up, go outdoors and be active. With the rise in technology, there aren’t many children without access to TVs, laptops, phones and tablets. That’s without mentioning game systems like PlayStation or Xbox. If you’re looking for ways to encourage your children to be more active, try out these tips.
Lead by Example
You can’t expect your children to be active if you’re not. If you’re coming home and slouching in front of the TV straight away and spending your weekends staring at your phone, your children are going to follow your example. If you want to encourage your children to do something more active, why not try a family sport? You could go swimming together for an hour or two or find an open space where you can play rounders or baseball.
Find Something They’re Passionate About
It’s not a good idea to force a child to play a sport they’re not interested in. Just because your child isn’t interested in gymnastics, doesn’t mean they won’t want to throw a few punches doing martial arts. When you find a hobby that your child is passionate about, it will be much easier to encourage them to get involved more often. Children will usually come across something they love while taking part in school, so make sure they’ve got a safe and friendly environment while trying new things out.
The Right Kit
When your child finds a sport that they enjoy, it can be expensive for parents to kit them out properly. However, it’s often easier to take part when you have the right kit. For example, a basketball team without custom basketball jerseys won’t look or feel competitive. When you’re dressed the part, you often feel a lot more confident. Similarly, having the right equipment can give you a better chance at being successful. A golfer is nothing without the right golf clubs.
Get Organised
If your child is always late for training or competitions, they may miss out on vital support from coaches. If you’re always running late getting your child to practices, they may fall victim to bullying or just feel that they’re letting their team down. Eventually, your child may start to lose interest. If you want your child to be more active, it’s important you plan activities into your day. If your child still relies on you to get to and from practice sessions, you have to make time for that.
Play with Your Child
You may have one hundred and one things to do when your child wants to practice a chosen sport, and it’s not always realistic to say yes. But, if you want to encourage your child, there will be times where you have to drop everything else and get up and play. If your child thinks you’re not interested in what they’re doing, why should they bother doing it? Show how proud you are.
