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Why Children Should Exercise
By Yip See Kit
Many parents are willing to spending time and money on their children's mental growth but they aren’t as conscientious about their child’s physical education.
As technology advances, the childhood experienced 10 to 15 years ago as compared to now is completely different. Nowadays, childhood is filled with PSP, PS3, XBOX and other computer gaming. Favorite physical activities are fingers, eyes, and mouth exercises (computer gaming and eating snacks while watching television). While gaming does have its own benefits in training of the human reflex and reaction; children should not be spending too much of their time on it.
Children have lost the opportunity to develop their fundamental and locomotive skills such as running, leaping, hopping, catching, throwing etc….which will hinder their physical literacy during their growth and developmental phase. Without these fundamental and locomotive skills, they will find difficulty when they engage in other sport games such as baseball or basketball and will feel inferior when their classmates are able to strike and dribble properly while they can't.
Fundamental and locomotive skills do not develop automatically, they need to be given the opportunity and time to practice. Take running for instance, children often like to run around more than walking when they are young, as compared to more specific locomotive skills such as striking, balancing, throwing, receiving which needs to be given time and opportunity to practice and develop.
There has been an increasing trend in child obesity over the past few years. The "Managing Obesity in Schools" series of annual seminars are organized so as to raise community awareness of obesity related health and educational issues in schools among teachers, parents and the public at large
Parents are strongly encouraged to allow children to spend more time on physical activities and playing. Sports and exercise provide a very good platform for the children to explore their physical potential and capabilities, which also helps to greatly enforce their self-esteem, confidence, and discipline. Team sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey allows children to learn valuable qualities such as team building which cannot be obtained from reading textbooks alone. Close skilled sports such as Wushu, Taichi, Gymnastic, and Archery allow children to learn focusing and concentration technique.
Like all parents, we hope to provide the best environment to nurture our next generation with a holistic physical and mental environment. As if the above is not convincing why children should engage more in different form of physical and sporting activities, below is a list of why exercise is good for children.
1. Children who exercise and engage in sporting activities regularly are more likely to continue exercising even as an adult.
2. Exercise helps children achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
3. Regular physical activity helps build and maintain strong, healthy muscles, bones, and joints.
4. Exercise aids in the development of important interpersonal skills such as team building - this is especially true for participation in team sports.
5. Exercise helps improves the quantity and quality of sleep.
6. Research had shown that exercise promotes improved school attendance and also enhances academic performance.
7. Children who exercise regularly tends to have greater self-esteem, confidence, and better self-images.
8. Participating in regular physical activity prevents or delays the development of many chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension) and promotes health.
9. Children who are active report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression better mental control.
10. Exercise helps improve motor coordination and enhances the development of various motor performance skills.
Besides the usual gifts of sweets and chocolate bars, which the kids definitely love to have, perhaps we could offer them even more, to spend more time and play with them, which will not only increase their physical activities level as well as promote stronger bonding relationships between your child and you.
Do you Know What May be Troubling your Children?
By Jacob Gan
Are we as parents attentive to whether our children have stopped coming to us with their problems? Do we notice any strange behavior?
Many parents are not vigilant on the activities and struggles of their children and are therefore oblivious to the troubles their children may be in.
Here are some of the common explanations that discourage our children from sharing their fears:
1. We have not extended to our children our empathy for the problems they face
If our children do not feel connected to us, they may feel that everything we offer is not relevant to their problems and will not be acceptable.
2. Our advice is "lose-lose" to our children
When we give advice, if it proves to be correct, we get the credit, but when the advice turns out to be not successful, they get the blame for not being able to carry it out successfully.
3. They feel stupid when we give them instructions
When the instructions come from us, they do not feel they have ownership. They may also feel that we think they are unable to develop their own solutions.
4. We Do Not Provide Solutions that are Relevant and Appropriate
This can occur when we assume that we already know what the real issues are before obtaining the details.
5. We Do Not Really Understand Our Children's Concerns
If we do not spend enough time and effort to try and understand the things that trouble the minds of our children, how can we know the real problems that affect them?
6. We do not appreciate the efforts of our children
When we denigrate their efforts to cope with their problems, they will be discouraged to make efforts in solving future problems.
7. Our children do not need our solution
Sometimes our kids just want to share their problems with us and do not want or need advice from us at all. Any attempt to throw in our solutions will be detrimental to our children's self-esteem.
Now that we have considered various possible causes that could discourage our children from sharing their problems, here are three action pointers for consideration:
1. Understand the Real Issues
We and our children have to take the problems to identify and analyze the crusts of the problems. Encourage them to identify and weigh the various options available. Very often, the solutions become clear.
2. Demonstrate Empathy and Understanding
We must learn to show evidence of our empathy with our children for the problems and difficulties they face so that they feel they are with us and we are with them. It is important to give our children the feeling that we are with them - and not just physically, but also emotionally. In this way, they will be more willing to disclose their true feelings and thoughts and wisdom and be receptive to what we have to offer.
3. Create "Win-Win" Situations
Whenever possible, we want to create situations that are "win-win" for them. For example, we encourage them to develop their own solutions and let them take the credit when they succeed. And they take credit for the admirable efforts, if they fail.
With careful thought and determination, we can help our children to realize that it's always good for them to open their hearts and share their problems to us.
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