Family Fitness & Lifetime
Fitness
Of course you want the best for your
kids. Who doesn’t want them to be healthy, wealthy
and happy? But are you demonstrating the wrong things to
them in a way that makes any or all of these tough or even impossible
for them?
You’ve probably heard the phrase Telling
Isn’t Selling many times. And you probably heard
the phrase, Show-Tell Both imply that it
isn’t usually enough to convince someone of a point of view
just by telling them; it’s usually a much better idea to
reinforce it with a demonstration.
As a result, telling or saying one thing at the
same time as doing or demonstrating the opposite will at best
inevitably send a mixed message. That message might be one
of inconsistency or insincerity or maybe both. This can
be a powerful and daily lesson to kids.
Naughty Parents or Bad Kids?
I recently watched a friend tell her two young daughters
that smoking was a very, very bad thing. A great message
you would think, despite the limitations of telling not being
selling. The trouble was, she was puffing away herself at
the time!
At best, this gives out an obvious contradictory
or insincere message. It’s a classic case of saying
one thing while doing another. The message contradicts the
practice. It’s a case of saying one thing (telling)
and doing another (showing). How can kids or anyone else
treat this seriously?
She was also asking her own kids to believe that
she was a bad person. Now, she never seemed to me to be
exactly what I’d say was a bad person and I don’t
think her kids will think so either. So, her kids won’t
believe her. As a result, she undermines her message in
yet another way.
So, if you don’t practice what you preach
and don’t preach what you practice, it’s hard to sell
your message. Even worse, it provides a brilliant lesson
that it’s OK to speak with forked tongue.
Daily Demonstrations of Dishonesty
In reality, despite periodical statements to the
contrary, those parents who don’t practice what they preach
are providing a daily tuition service to their kids that poor
behaviour is OK. They’re also showing their kids that
inconsistency is OK and that insincerity is OK. There’s
a good chance that they’re passing on the lesson that dishonesty
is OK too.
The same goes for parents who don’t exercise.
The same goes for parents who eat junk food. The same goes
for parents who drink unhealthily or take drugs. And the
same goes for parents who are dishonest and deceitful.
It’s hard to see what positive service they’re
giving their kids by teaching them bad habits.
Giving Bad Influences An Easy Ride
In turn, this means that all the other bad practices
that surround us, from TV, films, peer pressure, ads, social and
political ills and so on, have a much easier job at passing on
their bad influences than otherwise.
In other words, these parents are demonstrating
bad patterns of life and behaviour to their kids on a daily basis.
It may be an uphill struggle to keep kids from doing harmful things.
But this pattern of reinforcing bad behaviour by daily practical
demonstrations makes it a lot tougher.
Passing On Bad Behaviour
There’s a tendency to blame genes for everything.
Of course, genes are a factor but they hardly determine our total
behaviour. Sure enough, they provide us with a range of
possibilities. But which of these possibilities become realities
depends on a wide range of other factors that make this or that
genetic possibility a reality or not.
How else can we explain the relatively recent pandemic
of obesity among kids? We could at least make a start by
looking at the behaviour and eating patterns of their parents
and the daily demonstrations their kids get year-after-year.
But if passing on bad behaviour is so easy, why
not pass on good behaviour? And if this means taking seriously
the daily demonstrations you give to your kids, then both you
and your kids can be better off, don’t you think?
Help Your Kids To Help Themselves
As well as going to the gym with your kids, there
are heaps of things you could do to help them keep fit.
Many can be real family pursuits. The chief thing is to
help them avoid falling into the trap of becoming a perpetual
spectator to the activities or sports of other people. Yet
being an audience for sport is the nearest most people get!
To start with, apart from eating right, how about these activities
for all the family:
- Rope Jumping / Skipping
- Swimming,
- Cycling,
- Hiking.
As well as being healthy, they’re all fairly
simple and don’t cost much. They can be done in groups
or in clubs and can be a great way to meet and make friends with
other like-minded parents and kids.
All-Round Family Fitness & All-Round Fitness
To put it another way, all-round family support
and all-round fitness go together. So, as an added bonus,
you get to keep fitter too.
In other words, with so many bad habits and bad
examples surrounding us all and teaching us poor and unhealthy
behaviour, it’s important to put your money where your mouth
is and do what is right rather than just talk what is right.
Additionally, you can always support your kids in
the various team games they can do at school or outside.
But there’s no reason to stop at physical health and fitness.
Here are some other ideas for kids.
How To Pass Exams
Passing exams is an important ability and often
kids need help. This might be professional help outside
school. They will definitely need your help.
Kids Behaviour
Parents with kids who have behavioural problems
and learning difficulties can find various sources of help locally
or on the web. Numerous organisations, public and private,
act as great resources. Many specialize in helping problem
kids with a wealth of new and creative ideas, materials, exercises,
activities, courses and stimulating physical and mental games.
Languages
Some kids find learning other languages really tough.
That goes for adults too. So why not muck-in with your kid’s
efforts on this? You can find important help on the web
for a whole variety of languages.
Games & Puzzles
A big advantage of many games and puzzles is that
they can be social or solo activities. So as well as being
good for the brain cells they help bring individuals out of isolation.
Traditional brainy games such as Chess,
Go and Bridge are still enormously
popular. But once again, the web allows access to a range
of newer and inventive material. Some of this is overtly
educational in order to improve math and science skills, for example.
But many are for fun yet at the same time inventive and stimulating.
Brain-Eye-Body Coordination
A great craft that kids love to learn is the noble
and ancient art of juggling. Several web sites exist
to promote this gentle craft. It’s not
that hard with a bit of practice and it impresses the hell out
of everyone.
A big advantage is that kids can juggle almost anywhere
and it’s not expensive or dangerous.
It’s Magic
Kind of related to juggling for know-how is the
ability to do amazing tricks and show off that your kids (or you)
can do something really astounding. So, take a peek with
your kids at various web sites that promote magical mastery and
impress even more people.
Top Grade Lesson For Parents
All these activities will help and stimulate your
children and give them confidence. This means that they
are more likely to participate in class and develop even more
rather than they would by just sitting there.
It’s hard not to miss that such a lot of this
involves reading - on screen or on a page. Obviously, this
puts a premium on helping kids from an early age by encouraging
reading and reading to them when they are young.
This gives even young kids access to material and
experiences they would be unable to access themselves in the form
of stories, information for hobbies, interests, animals and so
on. At the same time, it expands kids knowledge and vocabulary.
Importantly, it equips them to develop their own interests and
to find out stuff for themselves.
In other words, the home environment is crucial
for development. This is why kids need the space and an
organised time for homework and sometimes help with it too.
They certainly need discussion and the interest of their parents
if they are to get their best shot at doing well at school.
To put it another way, a stable family and home,
filled with enriching and enabling possibilities and the right
routines is a great basis for top grades. Part of this is
enough of the right sort of food, without necessarily becoming
fanatic, along with sufficient sleep and exercise.
Practice What You Preach: Because Telling
isn’t Selling!
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