Encouraging Children To Be Active

You seem to read things in the paper on online every day

about the issue of obesity and how we, as a nation, are

getting fatter and unhealthier, starting in early childhood.

How do you go about ensuring that your child

won’t have health problems later in life or go through

the misery of being teased at school because of their

weight?

This is a good place to point out that teasing and name-calling is one of the things we are really against here

at Friday’s Child Montessori.

This sort of thing goes right against the Montessori

principle of courtesy and being a good citizen, and the teachers are alert for any sort of bullying going

on. 

If you think that your child is having a problem in this area – either as the bully or as the victim – please let us know.

But back to weight issues.  One of the reasons that

we’re seeing this increase in childhood obesity throughout the Western world is because children are less active than

they used to be.

The other reason is the prevalence of fast food and

processed food.

A lot of things are to blame for the reduction in

activity that seems to be going on. 

Sometimes, it’s a matter of space.

Gardens are getting smaller

while houses are getting bigger

What can you do to help your children become active enough to stay

healthy? 

All children really need is opportunity.  However, the

secret is to provide opportunities for activity that

aren’t likely to cause havoc and destruction – and aren’t just before bedtime or when you

want a bit of peace and quiet.

The other thing to bear in mind is that you will need to get involved in some of these activities.  This will probably do you some good and help your fitness level as

well!

Try the following ways of encouraging your child to enjoy

active play and activity in general:

Outdoor play equipment.

If you have a small amount of space, provide some form of outdoor play equipment.

Outdoor play equipment doesn’t have to be

expensive, either.  A chalk hopscotch figure that’s the

right size for your child and a couple of old tyres to climb plus a ball or two is enough.

Let children go outside when it’s raining.

Sure, you don’t want your precious child to freeze or catch hypothermia,

but the chances of that happening here on the Gold Coast are pretty slim.  So

let children run around outside a bit on rainy days, even if they get muddy. 

Dance.

Arrange your living room and/or

your child’s bedroom so he or she can have the fun of moving to

music.

Encourage outdoor or active hobbies rather than (or as

well as) passive indoor ones.

During the weekend, don’t just curl up in front of the TV, DVD

player or computer.  Head to the beach or the local swimming

pool. 

Go for a bike ride

Go for a walk.  Weekend activity doesn’t have to involve

organised sports clubs – doing it free range is just as good and

just as fun.

Romp and roughhouse with small children.

This seems to be something that dads tend to be very good at – play wrestling and general clowning around.

  You need to have a clear space in the living room for this to

take place, and you’ll need to set boundaries

Pillow fights fall into this category, or you can

have battles with pool noodles or foam rubber

swords. 

In the past, some experts, particularly Dr Spock,

discouraged this sort of play between adults and children, but today, it’s more widely held that your instincts is right and this

sort of play is healthy.

It’s a good way for adults to release a bit of stress and goof off, as well as giving the children quality time and exercise.

It helps children learn how to be strong and aggressive without being violent (and you can teach them a few good self-defence moves if you feel like it).

Build walking and being more active into your

routines.You might find it hard to break the habit of taking the lift rather than the

stairs or parking as close to the shops as you can.

But if you make yourself do it, especially when you’re with your children, this sort of thing will become normal for your children and they’ll get good habits that will (hopefully) last a lifetime.

For more fun activities check out www.fridayschildmontessori.com