Encouraging your children to practice a sport, learn new skills and improve their fitness levels is really important for their physical development and has many intellectual benefits as well. But, if you’re tired of nagging your children to go outside and play, or you’re stuck for more tips on getting them off the couch – then tune in. This blog post will be your saving grace.
- Practice skills at home with them.
Many children may not want to participate in sport (especially team sports) because they’re still developing basic skills and do not have the attention span to comprehend the rules of a game. By practicing with your children at home, not only are you spending quality time with them, but you are providing them with a safe environment to learn skills and gain confidence.
2. Shopping around to find the right sport with your child.
Perhaps the reason your child ‘hates’ sport, is because they haven’t found the right one for them. For some children, team sports can become too competitive and so they lose interest, or feel too much pressure to actually enjoy the sport. If you take the time to find a sport your child enjoys, they’re more likely to want to participate in the sport themselves, without you nagging, and constantly reminding them to go outside.
3. Choosing an individual sport over team sports.
For children who absolutely hate team sports, don’t give up on them. Encourage them to take up individual sports, where they can practice and develop their skills at their own pace. There’s a wide variety of individual sports that your child can participate in ranging from dance, to horse riding, and even trampolining. A benefit of individual sports is that many of them, skateboarding for example, hide the fact that it actually involves exercise. Your child will have loads of fun, while keeping their fitness levels up.
4. Supporting your child.
This, final tip, goes without saying. Supporting your child with whatever choice they make is of utmost importance. Staying open-minded, and patient is really important when it comes to encouraging your child to get active, and to stay interested in a particular sport. It may take a while, but if you’re behind your child every step of the way, they’re more likely to succeed in the sport of their choice.
So whatever sport your child decides to take up, make sure that you practice with them, and support them 100% in order to keep them interested, and off the couch.
Nyssa
Active Kids Are Healthy Kids 