With the world being revolutionized by technology and food industries, obesity has become a worldwide issue. According to the report of 2010 around 19.3% of school going children in India are overweight and obese. Being active is very essential for proper development of a growing child. Motivating your kids to stay active can be quite challenging but luckily here a few ways by which you can promote activeness in the entire family and create a healthy environment.
1)Be a role model
If you spend a lot of time being a couch potato the probability that your kids are going to do the same is very high. You need to include physical activities in your daily routine so that your children feel like doing the same. A person’s behaviour is influenced by their environment and it is very important for you as a parent to ensure that your habits do not negatively affect your child.
2)De-gadgetize
Limit the amount of time your kids spend on gadgets like mobile, computer or watching TV and playing video games. It is recommended to allot only 2 hours of screen time for your children each day. Increased addiction to gadgets can affect not only their eyesight but also their overall health due to constant inactiveness.
3) Enroll in fun activities
If possible, try to enroll your child in any sport he/she likes or in any activity of his/her choice like dancing,baking etc. That way the child isn’t always glued to screens and spends time more productively. In summer you can enroll your children in summer camps which is a great way of enhancing their learning skills as well as social ones.
4)Incorporate more outdoor activities
Try to involve the entire family in fun outdoor activities like playing a sport, having a water fight or a treasure hunt etc. This strengthens the family bond and ensures that everybody is physically active for at least an hour or two. It is good to take your kids to a nearby park every now and then where they can mingle and play with the other children. Encourage them to do more unstructured activities like climbing trees, building something etc..
5)Assign chores
The best way to get your children moving is to assign them daily chores. Not only does this keep them active but also develops a sense of responsibility within the child. You can also send your children to get groceries by walking or cycling. Encouraging responsibility of pets can also come under this category. For example- If you have a dog, ask your child to take it for its daily walks and train/spend time with it.
There are alot of other things that you can do to build an active atmosphere in the house. It is important to keep your child’s likes and dislikes in mind before incorporating any activity in the daily routine. Do not push them into doing something they don’t like and never compare them with other kids.