It was a cold February morning and I was bundled up to go on a run. I was wearing a few layers, running pants, gloves, a sock hat and a neck warmer. I didn’t think I would see many people out since it was about 38 degrees. At one point I looked ahead and to my surprise I saw a man with a young child. The child was on a scooter and seemed to be enjoying himself. As I got closer I realized that I knew these people and in fact the young boy was Teddy and he was six years old. He was wearing a coat, he was moving and he was enjoying himself.
The remainder of my run I was thinking about his presence outside and what the benefits were that he was being active even when the weather was not very good. I also thought about all of the kids in their homes who felt or have been told that there were limits to their activities because of the weather. How many times have I heard kids and parents give me the excuse that it was too hot or too cold to be outside? I wonder if these parents realize the limits they unnecessarily put on their children?
Don’t let the weather limit your children. Kids should learn that they do not always have to be comfortable. Let them wear the appropriate clothes in winter so they are not at any health risks. During the summer make sure they hydrate, wear sunscreen, and don’t over do it but most of the time the heat should not keep your kids from being active. Also don’t put your own feelings on your kids. Just because you think it is too cold or hot to be outside don’t put those feeling on them. If they are too hot or too cold they will come in. Trust in nature. Children can become more resilient and more hearty when they are allowed to be out in extremes.
Skill level is another limit we put on our kids. Just because kids have not tried an activity or are not very proficient is not a reason to not try. I have seen children in the office who are interested in trying a new activity and it gets shot down by a parent who says “you are not very good at that so we don’t do it”. Sometimes failure happens. Kids can learn from failure. The only complete failure is the failure of not trying.
Culture is a limiting factor for some children. This may be actual ethnic culture or maybe family culture. Don’t be afraid to try something different. Sometimes in America we get fixated on our sports like football, baseball and basketball. But your child may be missing out on something that may fit their personality better like lacrosse, rugby, or cricket. By expanding your child’s activities you can also expand their view of the world.
In the end we should want our kids to be well rounded athletes. We want them to be mentally and physically tough and have the ability to do things with no limits. So approach your child’s fitness with an open mind. Inspire them not to limit their movement but rather to increase movement by opening up their oppertunities.
