When I was a kid, I can honestly as that some of my favorite life moments took place while I was playing outside with my childhood friends. This, of course, was ages before the invention of video games and cyber space. This was the time of baseballs and slingshots and bicycles, when playing outside was all we had because the only things to do indoors were help your parents with boring chores.
Today as I raise my own children I see a shift from wanting to go outside to remaining inside. Gone are the days when your children would come running into the house with a scrape or bruise. Now they come running because they have advanced carpal tunnel from playing video games or texting too much. Despite this shift, as a parent, you do have a say so in what activities in which your kids are involved and I suggest to you today that playing outside with others should be high on your list. Don't let sports like football, baseball and kickball become obsolete. Why you may ask, here are 3 clear reasons.
Better Social Skills This one seems obvious right but often many parents underestimate the power of this benefit. The more face to face time a child has with peers and other children of varying ages, the better able they are to relate to others in every other facet of life. They will respond to their siblings and you as parents in a much more mature way. Soon your kids will learn that it is not just about their ideas and their feelings but often times your personal agenda must compromise for the group's sake.
Better Physical Fitness Running jumping and playing is good for everyone but even more so for a growing child. As your child's muscles and organs begin to grow and develop, it is essential that they participate in physical activities to grow stronger, more flexible and coordinated. Recent studies have shown that there is a significant increase in the diagnoses of Type II Diabetes in children. Regular exercise can decrease the risk of this type of diagnoses by more than 35%.
Better Grades Kids have a natural tendency to have a lot of energy. If they are going to be able to focus in school they must have an outlet for releasing this energy. That means that children need to enjoy as least an hour a day of free time where they get to run around and explore in the great outdoors. Lots of kids have been diagnosed as ADD or ADHD but what parents don't realize is that by hindering their children from playing outside, the in fact cause their children to be unable to focus. If you had tons of energy bottled up it may be hard for you to concentrate in school too.
The more we move into an age of advanced technology, the more we should keep in mind those things that got us to this point. Physical exercise and outdoor play is our friend and we shouldn't forget it. - 29958
Today as I raise my own children I see a shift from wanting to go outside to remaining inside. Gone are the days when your children would come running into the house with a scrape or bruise. Now they come running because they have advanced carpal tunnel from playing video games or texting too much. Despite this shift, as a parent, you do have a say so in what activities in which your kids are involved and I suggest to you today that playing outside with others should be high on your list. Don't let sports like football, baseball and kickball become obsolete. Why you may ask, here are 3 clear reasons.
Better Social Skills This one seems obvious right but often many parents underestimate the power of this benefit. The more face to face time a child has with peers and other children of varying ages, the better able they are to relate to others in every other facet of life. They will respond to their siblings and you as parents in a much more mature way. Soon your kids will learn that it is not just about their ideas and their feelings but often times your personal agenda must compromise for the group's sake.
Better Physical Fitness Running jumping and playing is good for everyone but even more so for a growing child. As your child's muscles and organs begin to grow and develop, it is essential that they participate in physical activities to grow stronger, more flexible and coordinated. Recent studies have shown that there is a significant increase in the diagnoses of Type II Diabetes in children. Regular exercise can decrease the risk of this type of diagnoses by more than 35%.
Better Grades Kids have a natural tendency to have a lot of energy. If they are going to be able to focus in school they must have an outlet for releasing this energy. That means that children need to enjoy as least an hour a day of free time where they get to run around and explore in the great outdoors. Lots of kids have been diagnosed as ADD or ADHD but what parents don't realize is that by hindering their children from playing outside, the in fact cause their children to be unable to focus. If you had tons of energy bottled up it may be hard for you to concentrate in school too.
The more we move into an age of advanced technology, the more we should keep in mind those things that got us to this point. Physical exercise and outdoor play is our friend and we shouldn't forget it. - 29958
About the Author:
Dorthy Weatherbush believes that all children should be forced to play outside so that they can get all of the exercise that they need and not have to end up on a Medifast diet. While diets like Medifast are great for adults, children should not have to worry about weight issues or dieting.
