10 Tips for Making Daily Physical Activity Part of Your Childs Life!
Here's some of the bad news about sedentary lifestyles: ? Forty percent of children ages 5 to 8 show at least one heart disease risk factor, including hypertension and obesity, which among children has doubled over the past two decades. ? The first signs of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) are appearing at age 5 ? something never before seen in anyone under the age of 30. ? Children 6 to 10 are dying of sudden cardiopulmonary arrest. ? According to a recent Centers for Disease Control study, American children born in 2000 face a one-in-three chance of developing Type 2 diabetes ? what used to be called adult-onset diabetes! ? This is thought to be the first generation of children that won't outlive their parents. The good news is that it doesn't take much to turn things around. We just have to make sure our kids are physically active! Following are some tips for making that happen: 1. Turn off the TV! Research shows children are being electronically entertained an average of five to six hours a week. Without electronics, they'll have to find other ways to keep themselves entertained. 2. Encourage your children to engage in active play. Research shows that the children who are most active are those whose parents have encouraged them to be active. 3. Play with your children! Blow bubbles for them to chase, play tag and hide-and-seek, put on an up-tempo song and boogie in the living room, or put on a John Philip Sousa march ? or break out the pots and pans ? and hold a parade around the house! 4. Serve as a role model, taking part in physical activity ? cheerfully ? yourself. 5. Take the children to parks, playgrounds, beaches, and on hikes during vacations and weekends ? instead of to amusement parks, where they'll stand in lines and then sit on rides. 6. Don't send the wrong message about physical activity by endlessly circling the parking lot for the spot closest to the door. Instead, make a game out of parking as far from the door as possible and finding different ways to get to it (walking backward, tiptoeing, jogging, or skipping). 7. When it's time for gift giving, select items like hula hoops; balls in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures; roller skates; or a wading pool or swing set. When shopping for games, Twister has more to offer than a board game. And CDs with lively music are a better choice than movie videos. 8. Don't expect organized sports to take care of your child's physical activity needs. There's more waiting than moving in most organized, adult-directed games. 9. Fight to keep physical education and recess in your child's school ? or, if necessary, to get them back! The research shows that, among other things, physical activity contributes to a better attitude toward school and improves academic achievement and test scores! 10. Make sure your child associates physical activity with FUN! Rae Pica is a children's physical activity specialist and the author of Your Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Visit her and read more articles at http://www.movingandlearning.com
Related News
Listen to your teens - Edmonton Sun
Listen to your teensEdmonton Sun, Canada -4 hours agoAs teens struggle to separate, parents need to adjust and fine-tune parenting style and attitudes to meet their teens' changing needs. ... |
Your parenting happy place - San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle |
Your parenting happy placeSan Francisco Chronicle, USA -Oct 9, 2008When the bad times come, one thing I do to keep from getting out-of-control upset is remember one of my parenting happy places. I have maybe five or six of ... |
The Parenting Vote - New York Times
New York Times |
The Parenting VoteNew York Times, United States -18 hours agoBy Lisa Belkin Ask people with children what most shapes their worldview, and being a parent would likely be high on the list. ... |
Who claims the family policy agenda? - San Francisco Chronicle
Who claims the family policy agenda?San Francisco Chronicle, USA -Oct 9, 2008High rates of poverty, divorce, single parenthood and social isolation exaggerate the typical strains of parenting. As a result, the United States has one ... |
DHS to drop ban on foster parenting by unwed couples - Arkansas News
Parenting video series begins this Sunday - Charles City Press
Parenting video series begins this SundayCharles City Press, United States -20 hours agoA great parenting resource is being offered to interested families in Charles City. The first five segments of the video series, “Shepherding a Child’s ... |
Parenting imperfect: Sad moments help us appreciate joys - Oneonta Daily Star
Give mom some parenting books - BlueRidgeNow.com
New car technology to aid parenting skills - Great Dad
Toy Tips and Parenting Hints Magazine and Saige Nicole’s Baby Boutique - PRarticle.com (press release)
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Ten Tips to Stimulate Your Newborns Senses
A number of scientific studies have shown the way a baby uses her senses in the early months of life is crucial to future development. A baby, whose senses are stimulated develop a sharper memory, inquisitiveness and a better concentration. Besides, babies who are stimulated attain developmental milestones earlier have superior muscle coordination, and a safer and sounder personality.
Tackle, Tackle
I don't know how people raise daughters because I have 2 sons. In my in-sanest moments, I have thought about having a daughter and have entertained thoughts about rushing into Toys'Rus straight to the Barbie doll section. My preoccupation with daughters is short-lived. Then I become sane all over again ? I must be out of my mind thinking about having another child! No way, it's totally, absolutely, positively, undoubtedly out of the question. I do love babies. Oh, how I do love them. Pinching cheeks is not one of my favorite things to do an infant but I sure do love the feel of their feathery skin that is layered with fine, fine hair. I can't resist touching their bums like a lunatic.
The Courage to Be a Loving Parent
Most of us really don't like it when someone is angry at us. We don't like it when people go into resistance to helping us when we need help, instead of caring about us. We don't like it when people withdraw from us, disconnecting from us and shutting us out. We don't like it when people make demands on us and do not respect our right or need to say no. Many of us will do almost anything to avoid the soul loneliness and pain we feel when people treat us in angry, resistant, demanding and uncaring ways.
7 Powerful Ways to Show Love to Children
Our children are our most important legacy to the world. However, our love is our most important legacy to our children. Here are seven ways to show love that will help children build sturdy foundations for the future.
Building Your Childs Self-Esteem
According to researchers, most children enter school with a good sense of self-esteem (at least as defined by psychologists) and yet leave high school with a poor sense of self-esteem. What happens in those years between starting school and finishing school?
Send Your Child to College FREE!
College is one of the largest expenses through the course of your child??s life. It is also one of the main causes of debt in America. With today's rates of inflation, it is very hard to save for an event that will occur eighteen years down the road. However, capitalistic America has provided many ways to send your child to college without paying a single red cent. Below you will discover just how easy it is to reach financial freedom.
Homeschooling ? Can I Do It?
Many parents would like to homeschool their children but are afraid they don't have the training or ability to be their children's teacher. This is certainly understandable, because most parents never had any formal training to be a teacher. However, most parents don't have to worry about this issue.
Remember The Generation Gap?
The techniques of managing relationships between parents and their children is as old as.. well, parents having children. It's not an easy job, either for the parent or the child. But, the key to any relationship inside or outside the family is the ability to relate; to have an empathy that allows us a slightly special way in which we can communicate with one another in order to understand, and to be understood. We make friends because of the similarities we may have in certain areas and we sometimes can build lifelong relationships on that basis. But, having children means we do not have a choice to make that relationship as we might have in meeting a perfect stranger. It's a relationship forced upon us, albeit willingly in most cases. We as parents accept that as part of parenting. After all, as parents we have the opportunity to influence the development of our children to be just like us.. thus creating those similarities that enhance a lifelong relationship. Now, note that I used the word 'opportunity' in that sentence. I think as parents we all realize that in spite of what we do to manipulate their young lives our children will turn out as individuals just as we did with our parents. And that could very well mean that the relationship you have with your child is not based on similarities but more of accepting the respective family roles of parent and child.
15 Ways to Help Kids Like Themselves
1. Tell me something you like about yourself? Help your child to focus on her many strengths.
Committed Parenting
When you think about it, probably the one thing that our children need most in order to grow up feeling loved, happy, and empowered enough to give of themselves to others is our commitment to them as parents. Our children must know that we have made a commitment to them and we must demonstrate that commitment constantly. When we decide to have a child we take on this commitment. It is the biggest commitment we will ever make. When one of our children is diagnosed with diabetes the commitment, significant enough to begin with, takes on a completely new and demanding aspect. We as parents are responsible for and to our children. We tie ourselves to them, sometimes at considerable cost to ourselves. We are required many times to put our children's needs before our own.
When Kids Hurt Parents
The cruel callous remarks made by our offspring can sometimes wound us deeply, to the very core of our soul. The hurtful words of our children can scar us like no other. They are capable of hurting us with the deepest kind of hurt. When the words "I hate you" spurt forth from the mouth of a five year old in the throes of a temper tantrum we tend to overlook them. When words such as those are hurled at us from the lips of our teenage or adult offspring they cut sharper than any blade forged from steel. The wound can fester leaving us open and vulnerable to future hurt. We forgive them. They're our children, we love them so how can we not forgive them? Yet the pain of such damaging words still lingers. In the back of a parent's mind, it is only natural that doubt should remain. Did he really mean what he said or was it just anger talking? Does my child really hate me? Have I failed as a parent?
What About ADHD Teens and Driving?
This is one of the most common questions asked of me by parents of teenagers who have ADHD.
Theres Never a Bad Time To Start Helping To Spread The Word of God
Q. What's the right age to start giving a Bible quiz to my child?
Punishing the Victim -- Why Public Schools Pressure Parents To Give Their Kids Mind-Altering Drugs
Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it inevitably bores millions of normal, active children who are forced to sit in classrooms six to eight hours a day with about twenty other immature children. The teacher has to cover the curriculum, so she is pressured to teach all the kids the same material in the same way. Few teachers have the time or patience to know each child's unique personality, interests, strengths, or weaknesses, or give different instruction to each student.
5 Steps to Raising an Optimistic Child
I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie who suffered from severe depression. Julie believed she was a total failure and would never be able to change anything in her life. Julie also felt all her shortcomings were her own fault.
What About Competition? Are Your Kids Ready?
Life is full of competition -- even in childhood. Kids compete for good grades, the attention of their parents and teachers, and even to get picked for 'the right team' in gym class. There's nothing wrong with encouraging healthy competition in your children. It can teach kids to perform at their best while encouraging teamwork and fostering a strong work ethic. Competition can teach valuable lessons about discipline, preparation and sportsmanship. Best of all, it can help to prepare them for other challenges they will face in life.
Teaching Reading: Part One
One of the biggest milestones in our children's education is when they learn how to read. You've probably asked yourself, "When is the best time to teach my child to read?" You can research this until you are blue in the face, but the answer is really very simple. You've already started, because from the moment your child is born, you are teaching him. We talk to our babies. We read to them. We sing to them. We recite silly little verses while we change their diapers or put them in their car seat. We hug and cuddle our children. We play with them. We laugh with them. We read to them.
A Guide To Help You Teach Your Children Positve Self-Image Through Fitness
Raising a pre-teen or teenage daughter (or son) is not easy and can cause any parent a lot of stress. There's so much to worry about ? dating, drugs, alcohol, sex, school grades, just to name a few. But one crucial element often gets overlooked until it manifests itself in extreme ways (like through an eating disorder). I'm talking about self-image. It's extremely important that parents ensure that their children have a positive self-image, especially in relation to their body.
Picky Eater Kid Nutritional Guidelines
Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in their lives, the experts say not to worry. Unless you are feeding him or her chips and cookies three times each day, these children will most likely meet their weekly nutritional quotas.
Simple Indulgences for September
As the kids go back to school, you can go back to *you*...your schedule, your friends,
your goals. Here are ten simple indulgences to celebrate this season.
|
