11 Ways to Keep Your School Age Child Active
/I tend to get a little nostalgic as my daughter’s birthday comes around. This January she turned 8! I of course scrolled into the abyss of my camera roll to admire how she has changed over the years. One thing that stood out to me is how active she has always been, and how I do different things to facilitate that as she’s gotten older.
It is challenging when your child is really young to find and make time to work out, especially at home and without interruption. I always tell new moms that all of the effort they put in early to prioritize exercise will pay off as their child gets older. However, now that my daughter is older, I realize that the effort doesn’t stop…it just looks different. Here are some things that have worked well for me since she’s become a physically active school-age child.
Continue to prioritize your own exercise, especially home workouts. I now look forward to being a role model and doing my weekend workouts at home. They’re usually shorter, which is perfect because sometimes my daughter will join in. At the very least, she sees me making time for activity.
Teach them how their body works and how physical activity helps it work better. I never miss an opportunity to educate my daughter about her body. How many of us had no idea what the pelvic floor was until we were pregnant? I encourage her to notice how her heart rate gets faster when she runs or teach her about the muscles that need to be strong for the monkey bars.
Give active toys for rewards or gifts. It’s pretty hard to encourage your child to be active when you just gave them a brand-new tablet for their birthday. Instead consider things like scooters, inline skates, hula hoops, and jump ropes. It’s not that I don’t give sedentary gifts, but I make sure she has active options that are just as fun.
Talk about their strength and ability more than their body type. My daughter is tall and lean, and she’s constantly hearing comments about it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I like to take the focus off of her physical appearance and compliment her on how strong her legs are when she runs, or how I’m lucky she is strong enough to help me carry groceries up the stairs.
Let them jump around from activity to activity without specializing. Most elite athletes were multi-sport athletes as a child. Now days there is pressure for your child to specialize in a sport at an early age, and if it’s driven by them by all means support it. But, just as their taste in food fluctuates almost daily, so can their interests. I try to support all of the sports and activities my daughter wants to try…even if she quits after one session or season. How else will she find what she loves or is good at? There’s plenty of time later to instill commitment once you start something, but let them explore when they’re young.
Walk as part of the commute. I admit, I used to be a lot better at this. We never seem to have enough time to walk to school versus drive. But I do purposefully make sure to include her in any errands I can do on foot. I want her to realize that moving often is a way of daily life.
Choose sneakers. Have you ever tried to run in “dress shoes”, or jump rope in boots? Although it can be cute to see your child in a variety of shoes, remember kids are supposed to be active, and their footwear should encourage that. Have fun with different colors and styles, but keep your child in comfortable shoes.
Choose physically active family time. This might seem simple, but as most kids get older, it becomes a little harder to get them to participate in activities with you. I’ve tried to follow her lead as much as possible to make it a bit easier. She started tennis lessons so I did as well. She likes to swim (I do not), but I make sure we go to the pools. I bought us both a pair of rollerblades so we could enjoy it together. There was a stage where I was relieved to be able to sit on the park bench while she played on the playground but to promote lifestyle activities, I’m back to moving with her again.
Plan active birthday parties. Last year we planned a skate party and this year her celebration consisted of dancing and cartwheels at home. Your child already has a positive association with their birthday, so why not make the positive connection between celebrating/special days and being active? Fortunately, Philly has a ton of active party options (if I have to go to another trampoline park!), but walking to your favorite restaurant, or dancing to the birthday song are also simple things you can do to connect celebration with movement.
Applaud them for being a good example to other kids. Just as we admire moms who are able to stay consistent with exercise, or manage to stay strong during pregnancy, kids take note of other kids’ abilities. Let your child know that they’re being a good example for others with their exercise and activity. My daughter has seen me help other people be active and she often talks about teaching kids how to do different “moves” and “tricks” on the playground.
Teach them new skills. As you already know, kids are sponges and they love to mimic us. We spend a lot of time focusing on teaching them academics and manners, but are you taking the time to expose them to different motor skills and movements? Sure they have P.E. class, but a little practice outside of school goes a long way in building their confidence in physical activity.
Nobody knows your child better than you, so I encourage you to try these suggestions or do what works for your family. Either way, if you want your child to remain active, we have to create an environment that supports it. If you’re struggling with modeling. it, I invite you to join the Active Mom community with private or group training.