According to the House of Commons Library statistics, 23.4% of children between the ages of 10 and 11 are obese. Poor physical health habits are a major cause of obesity and other lifestyle and chronic illnesses in children. This further harms their confidence, making them unhappy and causing more issues such as depression and anxiety. As parents, you are responsible for ensuring your child lives a fulfilling and healthy life. Therefore, it is vital to find ways to encourage them to be physically active. However, this is easier said than done. Below is a guide on encouraging your child to be physically active.
- Lead by example
The truth is children are very impressionable. As they figure out who they are, they look up to their parents and other adults to determine right and wrong behaviour. Therefore, if you want your child to adopt various habits, such as being more physically active, you must do so yourself. Let your child see you move about more as you exercise in the mornings and evenings. You can also lead by example by making it a family effort. Organize fun and active family activities to further encourage your child. You can consider going on family hikes, taking brisk walks around the block, or engaging in a physically active hobby such as swimming or playing tennis.
2. Limit screen time
In today’s digital era, it is safe to say everyone is hooked to their screens, including your children. The convenience of using your phone to communicate, purchase items, look for answers, and so on leads us to spend more time behind the screens. However, this is not limited to just cell phones; TV has also become a challenge, with many children spending their entire day watching various shows. While you cannot entirely prevent your children from using their devices, you can limit their screen time. Doing this would encourage them to be more active. When outside, they would be forced to be creative and think of ways of having fun. However, you must be sure that you watch them to prevent trips and other injuries. And without interrupting their fun. Therefore, be sure to be close by either on the patio or behind your pergola blinds, keeping a watchful eye on them.
3. Educate them on the importance of being physically active
Your children may be young and may not understand much. But, if you took the time to explain to them various elements, they would be more appreciative and receptive to it. This can be done when encouraging them to be physically active. Using the “because I said so” approach may give you results, but these are temporary. However, teaching them would make them feel responsible and motivate them to do more for themselves. When educating them, be sure to use the words of love and make them feel judged or ashamed. For example, if your child needs to lose some weight, do not emphasize that as a reason for them to be healthy. Instead, give them a more generic talk about the need to be healthy. If you are unsure of how to go about this, you should consider speaking to their paediatrician to help you in this regard.
FOR MORE POSTS LIKE THIS SEE OUR FAMILY ARCHIVE.
This is a collaborative post.