Parents are robbing their kids the experience of childhood and the fun of being a kid by enrolling their kids in too many after school sports, music, dance competition. Childhood is all about teaching kids they do not have to be perfect. It is important for kids to discover themselves through play. Physical exercise, competitive sports and down right play time needs to be incorporated into a kid's life - it is difficult to determine how much of each is necessary. What does this have to do with obesity? Kids natural way of life is to play, play and play some more. Obesity, so I have read, so often is a mental "thing" and a sign that life is just not right with the person. When a kid is limited in their creative play time, life somehow is just not right with the kid.....
I asked several kids to describe the activities once they get out of school until bedtime. I asked kids between the ages of 6-12 who should not go home to an empty house after school. So many of them leave school and are bus driven to another day care facility or the YMCA after school program until their parents get off work. So often the kids and their parents are walking into the house around 6:00 pm. If they are enrolled in sporting events, that takes place right after school until they are finished. Then they have to quickly eat dinner sometimes around the family dinner table and sometimes around the television. It is time to do homework after that and if they did not complete their chores they have to do them in the evening. Somewhere in this time schedule, the kids like to play on their computer or other hi-tech toys they have. There are always cub scouts and girl scouts to attend in the evening. Some of the kids have to "pick-up" their room before they go to bed.
I asked them if they have time to ever play in the evenings. The kids main response was they like to play on their computer. Not exactly what I wanted to hear; however, kids speak the truth. I then asked them if they had time to play outside. Quite a few of the kids say they aren't allowed to play outside unless a parent is with them to keep them safe and parents don't seem to have the time in the evenings to do this.
I asked about weekends and one boy quickly spoke up and said "we always have a busy weekend with a lot of things to do".
I think I got the picture of very busy families. Families who are trying to do it all. Parents need to realize they they are not letting their kids down if the kids are not enrolled in numerous activities in a week span. It would be great if families could find the time to play together - now wouldn't that be a whole lot of fun?
Have fun in life - have fun with your kids while you can!!!
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