What To Do When Your Kids Don’t Want To Exercise
Since the first Game Boy and Nintendo products hit the market, kids have been glued to their TV sets playing these games. As a result, the only time kids actually exercise is during recess at school. Parents have been wrestling with this question for years: What to do when your kids don’t want to exercise. Here are a few tips to help you cope with this problem.
Set time limits on computer use. Tell your kids they are allowed one hour on the computer each day; including Saturday and Sunday. Instruct them to follow these rules, or the computer will be disconnected.
Go biking with them, or take them to the park. Turn the walk into an interesting science or nature trip, and the kids will be more willing to go with you again. Schedule regular sessions of playtime where your kids are encouraged to be physically active by riding a tricycle, or pushing a toy baby carriage. You can assign chores, such as walking the dog or help with chores in the yard. Include a small payment in return. This teaches the child responsibility. Purchase a basketball hoop; on weekends play a game with your kids. Or go to the park and teach your kids how to play baseball or football.
Sports are a good way to get kids interested in physical activity. However, not all kids are athletically proficient sports. If there is a school little league, don’t force your child to join. Take it once step at a time. Teach them how to play; take them to the games; eventually they may want to participate.
Most importantly, keep it fun. If you, as an adult, take pleasure in any form of exercise, your kids will follow suit; or they may come up with a new type of exercise. Be open to suggestions. Make it a family affair.
All above information is taking from http://www.kidsfitnesscentral.com
Don't Let Anger Build Up in Your Kids
For a parent, one of the most stressful situations you can face is dealing with an angry child. For children, anger is simply a natural response to the stress and frustration they feel in their lives. They are constantly bombarded with new people, places, and situation. Anger is a normal way of dealing with this. The problem is that children haven’t learned to properly express and deal with their anger.
We all know exercise is essential to living a healthy life. However, it has the added benefit of helping us and our children deal with feelings of stress and anger. Exercise may be the key to alleviating your child’s anger, and your frustrations.
Exercise has been proven to chemically reduce stress in kids’ bodies. When we feel stress, our bodies react by producing certain hormones. Too many of these hormones leave us feeling “stressed out.” Exercising helps rid the body of those hormones and reduces the stress. The less stressed your kids are, the less anger they feel.
Not only does exercise get rid of stress, it also makes kids happier. When we exercise, we produce chemicals called endorphins. They improve our mood, brighten our outlook on life, and of course, reduce feelings of anger.
When you’re angry or upset, you probably call a friend or someone else close to you. Nothing helps us get rid of anger better that hanging out with a good friend. Well, the same is true for your child. And what’s a better way for kids to make friends than playing at the park or joining a soccer team? The friends your kids make during their exercise will help them cope with their anger.
Exercise is not only a way for your child to bond with other kids; it’s also a way for them to bond with you. Children feel accepted and less stressed if they think their parents are interested in them and understand them. By playing and exercising with your kids, you can form a bond that will leave them better adjusted and happier.
While exercise is important in helping your child reduce angry feelings, you should also teach them the proper way to express their anger. If you think your child has a problem or is overly aggressive, you should consider taking them to a professional. It is important that children learn to properly express their anger early in life. This will help them be better adjusted later in life.
Many children just need time to get away from the stressors that make them angry. Exercise and play give kids a chance to escape their problems and start to feel better. Many times kids just need a distraction so they can calm down.
Hopefully, with a little aerobic exercise, your child will not only be healthy, but also happy and well adjusted.
Information taking from http://www.kidsfitnesscentral.com
By: Vicki Rackner MD
Believe it or not, you impart a legacy of health to your children that goes well beyond the genes you give them. You also pass along health beliefs and model health-related choices. Here are 5 tips that will set your kids up on a path towards a healthy life.1. Instill a sense of wonder about the body.Many adults fear and distrust their bodies. They believe that the body is fragile, and illness is just around the corner. The myth that you will catch a cold if you go outside without a coat persists. Your kids are listening when you look in the mirror and say to no one in particular, I’m so fat.The truth is your body is the most miraculous mechanical system on the planet. Cuts heal without a single thought or action on your part. Your immune system is your own personal homeland security system, protecting you from bacterial and viral terrorists. Yes, illness is part of the human condition. And we have powerful treatments that add to your body’s own ability to heal. Look at your body’s ability to battle illnesses, such as the common cold. This alone offers concrete evidence of your body’s resiliency.Comment on your child’s amazing body. Wow, that cut healed in no time or you have such strong fast legs or look at what your hands have been able to draw. Remind your child how great it is to have eyes and kidneys and hearts that work so well.2. Become a student of the human body with your child.Your kids will come to you with questions about how their bodies work. It can be uncomfortable for both you and your child when you don’t have the answers. This discomfort can teach children that they should avoid questions about how their bodies work, which may, in part, explain why parents themselves are reluctant to ask doctors embarrassing questions.Remember, no one has all the answers. That’s why your doctor participates in continuing medical education. Your child can remind you of the joy of discovery. Together you can look for answers. I mentioned to my son that bones make blood and he asked, "What about creatures with exoskeletons?" I said," What an interesting question. Let’s get on the Internet and see what we can find out." Have a child-appropriate book about the body available and learn and use anatomically correct words. Maybe you can have a family contest to come up with the coolest medical term.3. Teach your kids to listen to their bodies.Often it feels as if adults are rewarded for ignoring or overcoming the signals from their bodies. The "hero" who comes to work with the flu or the mom who ignores her need for food or sleep. Health is maintained when you know the signals that suggest your body is out of balance and respond in a timely manner when your body indicates it needs something.Help your kids identify when they’re cold or hungry or tired. You can say even to an infant, "You look hot, so I’m taking off the blanket." Give your child some experience regulating his external environment like taking on and off sweaters. Educate your children that pain is there to keep them safe. Say, "Owies are no fun, but they’re there to keep you from burning yourself on the stove or cutting yourself with a knife. That’s how your body reminds you to be careful."4. Model healthy eating habits.Childhood obesity is a growing problem. Talk with your kids about good food choices and bad ones. Encourage them to ask themselves, "What kind of food is my body hungry for right now?" and "Am I full?" even if there’s still food on the plate. Pay attention to see if your child is a "grazer" or a 3-squares-a-day kid and set an eating schedule that reflects their style. Decide whether it’s OK to indulge in unhealthy food choices now and then. When I inquired about the nutritional value of my son’s snack of donuts, he said, "It’s health food for the soul!"5. Reward health rather than illness.Some of my best childhood memories come from times when I was sick. In an effort to ease my pain, my mother unwittingly rewarded illness by lavishing attention on me, delivering endless bowls of ice cream and playing games with me. Who wouldn’t want to be sick!Instead, lavish attention on your kids when they’re well. While you don’t want to punish your kids for being sick, consider which privileges of health should be withdrawn during sick days.When you instill in your children a sense of pride, wonder and respect for their bodies, you have given them the foundation of health.
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Have you ever left your doctor's office with unanswered questions? Been embarassed to talk with your doctor about a health issue concerning your child.? If so, you're not alone. Vicki Rackner MD is a board certified surgeon who helps people get the healthcare they want, need and deserve. Sign up for Dr. Vicki's FREE monthly newsletter at www.drvicki.org" and get tips that will put you in charge of your child's health care.
