thelesterlee
All sporty parents want their child to share the same passions and interests as them.. Before you even thought about having a kid, you dreamed about picking up your little one from soccer practice on a Saturday morning or watching your daughter win first place in her swimming competition.
But not all kids are into sport. It might be that your son or daughter prefers to spend time reading, playing with their Dragon action figures, or simply socialising with their friends. If getting muddy on the football isn’t what interests them, then you can’t force it.
But sport is so beneficial for kids in so many ways. First and foremost, it gets them outside and active, promoting fitness and wellbeing. Too many children nowadays spend their time sitting indoors on their phones and Playstations, so anything that gets them away from the screen is a bonus. It encourages them to adopt good fitness habits that they will carry with them into their adult life, reducing their risk of obesity and disease. It is also a hugely social pastime, helping them to make friends and improve their communication skills.
Playing sport is clearly a great thing for kids, but how can you encourage it if they’re just not interested? Here are four tips for raising a sporty child.
Lead by example
Children pick up so many of their behaviors from their parents, so if you enjoy playing sports then there’s a higher chance your kid will too. You need to lead by example so you should put down your phone and stop spending your evenings watching TV. Sign up to a gym, go for runs, or join a local sports team and show your child how much fun you are having in the process.
Play together
The best way to cultivate a love of sports is to play together. From a young age, start getting outside with your kid and playing a range of different games. Kick a soccer ball about, practice your touchdowns and go for long bike rides and runs together. The key is to make it fun, so don’t criticise your child for any lack of ability or motivation. Just aim to enjoy it.
Explore different options
Just because your child doesn’t want to play soccer with the other kids, it doesn’t mean they’ve ruled out sport altogether. It might just be that they haven’t found their passion yet. Help them to explore other sports they could get involved in and they might just find something that catches their eye. It could be swimming, kickboxing, gymnastics, or canoeing. Try out new things together and let them find their calling in their own time.
Don’t force it
Some kids just don’t click with sports no matter how hard you try, so it’s important not to be overbearing or you’ll push them away. Just accept that they have other interests and passions and focus on encouraging these instead. Some people only get into exercise later in life so there’s still hope yet.
