Category: Parenting

Children today are more likely than ever before to become obese. Dealing with the negative effects of this at such a young age can affect them for their entire life. Since childhood obesity is a widespread issue, many parents want to enroll their children in sports activities to stay active while having fun and making friends.

Here’s a list of six youth sports activities that will get your children moving and keep them active.

Flag Football

Flag football is one of the best youth sports because it’s non-contact. It means that no players on the other team can hit your child or cause them physical harm. This makes it a great option for kids who are just learning how to play sports and offers an opportunity to get more comfortable being active in front of others.

Running flag football plays can even teach your kids how to be a part of a team and develop some communication skills. It becomes the perfect game for children who aren’t interested in playing on conventional teams. Flag football offers similar benefits to traditional tackle football.

The benefits of team sports include learning how to work together with others and can contribute to a child’s mental health and overall wellbeing.

Soccer

Soccer is a great sport to introduce to young children because it combines teamwork with physical activity. It also teaches important skills like balance, coordination, endurance, and agility.  Some studies have shown that soccer encourages higher fitness levels than other childhood sports such as basketball or baseball.

As a bonus, research has found that playing soccer can improve academic performance in math and science among high school students who participate in the sport during their childhood years. Once a male dominated sport, soccer programs for girls have greatly expanded to present great opportunities for female players.

Track & Field/ Cross Country Running

Running is one of the most popular sports in the world and for a good reason. Running provides great cardiovascular conditioning while also strengthening your leg muscles. It helps with speed, endurance, coordination, balance, and weight loss.

Track & Field also has social benefits, like building bonds with teammates or classmates through training sessions. You can start running at any age, but it is recommendable that children begin by walking, then progress to jogging before finally running.

Swimming

Swimming is great for general health and fitness. It is because it works out every muscle in the body while providing excellent cardiovascular conditioning.  It improves your child’s endurance without putting too much stress on their joints or bones. This makes swimming a good option for younger children who are still growing.

The best part about swimming is you can start at any age. But it is recommendable that you learn the basic moves like how to float before continuing to more advanced techniques like diving or crawling underwater.

Martial Arts

Martial arts are one of the best ways to turn your child’s interest in martial arts films, comic books, and video games into something they can participate in. Martial arts teach kids discipline without sacrificing too much fun.

The study has shown that learning how to fight better reduces bullying. It also teaches important social skills such as respect, concentration, and time management. Having classes or clubs for them will also give them some more friends who share similar interests.

Tae Kwon Do is probably the best martial art for children. This is because it focuses on a light-hearted atmosphere without heavy contact like boxing would require. It allows kids and adults to come together on an equal playing field while improving their focus, concentration, and coordination.

Dance

All children enjoy dancing, but dance can also be a great way to get more active. There are many types of dances from various cultures that will provide your child with various health benefits. The benefits include muscle toning, weight loss, coordination, and endurance.

Kids who take up dance usually find it easier to make friends. The classes often become social events where kids learn how to work together as a team.

Since dance is both fun and good exercise, it’s no wonder why so many kids today prefer to take up this activity rather than less healthy pursuits that benefit their overall well-being or education.

Skateboarding

Skateboarding has been the passion of many kids for decades. It’s easy for boys and girls to started right in their own driveways. They can progress to hitting the local skate park with friends or to meet new ones.

The thrill of learning new tricks, the sense of community, and the freedom of expression that skateboarding offers make it more than just a sport—it becomes a lifestyle for many. From mastering the basics to perfecting advanced maneuvers, skateboarding nurtures creativity, resilience, and camaraderie among its enthusiasts.

Closing Remarks

These six sports activities will not only keep your kids active, but they’ll also have so much fun while exercising with others, thus improving their social lives.  Exercise is also beneficial for any child to help boost their mood and maintain positive attitude.  These types of youth sports are healthy for children because they teach them discipline while strengthening their bonding.

Additional Reads:

• Got a gamer in the house that needs more exercise? Learn how you can use technology to gamify fitness.
• Read how the game of golf is providing a positive influence on growth and mental health for children.

Lawnmower parenting has been around for years but it picked up steam after an anonymous article was posted on a popular website for teachers. Since this trend is buzzing, it is something that needs to be talked about. It’s a parenting style that has made us appreciate helicopter parents and tiger moms even more.

Lawnmower parents are the overprotective parents who cannot stand to see their children struggle. Their intentions may be good but the consequences of such parenting are devastating. Before you follow this trend, you must understand that you are only setting up your kids for a lifetime of failures.

Some of us are already guilty of being lawnmowers. Just evaluate how you are raising your child whether it’s a toddler, preschooler, teen, or tween. You could be making your toddler wear a space suit whenever leaving home so they don’t catch germs, making your teen’s friends pass through a rigorous screening process to approve, or constantly checking their bedroom during the night to make sure they are sleeping. These are certainly signs that you love your child unconditionally but you could be preventing them from growing into independent and emotionally healthy adults.

Lawnmower parents are willing to intervene and mow down any obstacle that stands in the way of their child. This style of parenting, just like helicopter parenting, focuses on short-term goals. Such parents think “If I could make this thing easier for my child, why wouldn’t I do it?” When you are constantly removing obstacles from the life of your child, you are taking away their opportunities to learn problem-solving techniques and other skills.

Lawn-mowing parenting is not healthy for your children!

I would like to shed some light on ways lawnmower parenting hamper your children’s success:

• They won’t learn how to deal with life

The sting of rejection and the pain of failure could disappoint your child but it doesn’t mean you go above and beyond to solve every problem. If you do that, you are keeping them from developing emotional skills. They won’t be prepared for life after high school. They won’t be able to deal with conflict, loneliness, boredom, and anxiety on their own because they never got to experience these emotions before.

Early life stress actually expands the regions of the brain that help control resiliency. For example, if you console your child for receiving bad grades on paper, you are not benefiting them. You should instead be teaching a lesson that helps in character building and prepares them for the future.

• Their problem-solving skills will be zero

When you remove the problem before even your child knows it existed, how will they develop problem-solving skills? Scheduling meetings or calling your kid to ensure they wake up on time, etc. could make parents act more like personal concierges rather than authority figures. Imagine your child is in college and he doesn’t know how to get help. They must have the skills to figure out things without the help of parents. If your children don’t struggle, they will never learn and their character will never build.

• You are shattering their confidence

Removing obstacles from the life of your child means you are making them learn they can’t handle anything on their own. Your child will hence grow up with self-doubt and anxiety.  Their insecurities will make them feel they are incompetent.

• You are fostering poor mental health

Your parenting style doesn’t allow your kids to gain coping skills. It is understandable that you want them to be happy but ironically, you are sabotaging their long-term well-being. Providing access to online teen counseling can empower teens to develop resilience and independence while having professional support. You can’t take full responsibility for your child’s emotions by regulating how they feel.

The American Psychological Association Commission conducted a study on stress in America. Results revealed that the younger generation is more stressed out than the older generation. Millennials and Generation X reported a higher level of stress than the baby boomers. The study also revealed that when parents control the social sphere of their child, they hinder them from growing and developing essential social skills that help them during their adulthood.  Sheltered children miss out on so many learning opportunities. Lawnmower parenting actually makes your child maladapted to the real world, which can take a toll on their mental health.

Signs you are a lawnmower parent

If you are a lawnmower parent, you are simply removing your child’s discomfort in the short run rather than focusing on their needs in the long run. You must evaluate your parenting style if you want your child to grow into a healthy, confident, and adaptive adult. These are the signs that indicate you are a lawnmower parent:

• You do their laundry, clean their room, and even their dinner plates. In short, you are doing all their chores for them.
• Whenever your child comes home with a bad grade, you blame their teacher. You are even ready to talk to their teacher to cut them some slack or give extra time to complete a homework assignment.
• You don’t hesitate in stopping by their school to give them their forgotten belongings even though you are running late from work.
• You step into any situation that would make them uncomfortable. You are the one handling their business instead of letting them tackle the situation.
• You intervene in the sibling fights and even friend fights. Rather than letting your child figure out a way to solve the conflict, you remove the catalyst for them.
• You help them with their homework. Instead of letting them do the research, you come to their rescue every time.

You may not be doing all the above, it could even be one; but if you are handling a few or too many aspects of your child’s life, you must stop!

If lawnmower parenting is so bad, then using parental controls should be bad, too?

Since lawnmower parenting means you are being over-protective, some parents are arguing that using smartphone monitoring apps could mean the same. Well, not really. Whether it is built-in parental controls in apps that our kids use on a daily basis (like YouTube, Netflix etc.) or parenting apps, they are meant to protect our kids from harmful exposure. If you are putting screen-time limits on your child’s tablet or smartphone by using parental control device locking features, you are not keeping them from developing skills.

In fact, you are disciplining them and teaching them how to use technology in a healthy way. Likewise, with the location tracking feature and geo-fencing, you are making sure you know where your kid is without having to inquire about it. Since social media is full of vices such as cyberbullying, body shaming, online predators, catfishing, etc., to keep a check on your children’s mental health, parents have no choice but to monitor their conversations from time to time.

Supervising their digital lives isn’t a bad thing if you are teaching how to protect themselves from the lurking online dangers via monitoring app for parents or any other similar app like Qustodio. In fact, when you don’t set these boundaries, you are exposing your children to dangers that could leave a mark on their lives for a long time. With that being said, lawnmower parenting and using parental controls are not the same things.

How to tell the difference between helping and mowing things for your children?

I know, I know, you must be wondering how you can be sure you are actually helping your child and not being a lawnmower parent. No parent wants to see their child fail. They simply want to set their children up for success. Whenever you are stuck between helping and mowing, monitoring your child or trusting them, consider your child’s future. That will make it easier for you to decide. Back away and let your child gain experience by dealing with adverse situations. That, in fact, is the most loving thing you could do for them.

Kids have always been very receptive to new information, and it’s our job as parents and guardians to help our kids grow by exposing them to quality resources of information.  Of course, it’s a challenge to provide a healthy dose of online freedom to explore, with sufficient online safety measures in place.

When striking a balance between entertainment and learning, or a combination of both, there are a number resources available.  In the streaming world Netflix is great, at times. There is also the Netflix Kids option. Social media platforms are far more vast and difficult to keep track of.  You may even wonder if TikTok is safe.

However, after doing extensive research, we’ve narrowed it down to five of the best online resources created especially to help your child grow.  You can Google these resources in the search bar at the top of our website.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a free online learning platform. It provides free programs for children aged four to 18, as well as tools for instructors working from home and parents who choose to educate their children during this period. They even have a timetable to keep kids on track when they’re at home.

Apart from education, safety is also a top priority, especially when kids and teens have access to a wide variety of information. By following a few safety tips for students, you’ll be able to help them navigate the resources better.

CK-12

CK-12 is another excellent education site, with courses ranging from math, English, and science to philosophy and astronomy, among other topics. Run by an NGO, CK-12 uses digital textbooks or “Flexbooks” to diversify K-12 education across the world.

Even teachers and subject matter experts can contribute and use CK-12 resources to create holistic workbooks and models. It also includes some information for university students, but the site is primarily for individuals under the age of 18.

The Adventures of Mo

 As a free, online resource, The Adventures of Mo helps parents, teachers, and homeschoolers engage kids in US geography. Read fun state blogs, trivia or an adventure eBook that can be played as a game. Kids earn $10 if they submit geography trivia that’s posted online. The website also features brief videos of kids sharing information about US states. Guided imagery presentations via zoom are available for a fee. www.adventuresofmo.com

Kanopy

Kanopy is a service that works with libraries to provide online access to movies and TV episodes. For older kids, there are documentaries, docuseries, and film festival selections, as well as a Kanopy Kids area with animated storybooks, Sesame Street, and more.

Kanopy has a monthly limit on how many videos you can watch. You’ll need to sign up for their services with your library card to access their catalog.

Sesame Street

SesameStreet.org is a website dedicated to Sesame Street, the popular children’s television show. It’s ideal for little children at home. The parental controls are extensive, allowing you to lock the user onto the site to prevent your children from exploring the internet, as well as track what your child has been viewing. You may also build activity playlists and let your child loose on them.

DIY.org

DIY.org is devoted to assisting children in learning how to do something by themselves. The DIY sessions develop a holistic understanding of physical objects and improve the logical reasoning of children. The website offers a variety of lessons, including photography, painting, science, and cuisine

Adult and child sign-ins are distinct, and parents can follow their children’s progress through email notifications. It offers a 14-day free trial before switching to a monthly subscription.

Online Guidance

Due to the wide availability of information these days, it’s important to guide our kids through it, point them in the right direction, and keep them safe. These five online resources should help them cultivate a learning mentality and understand the world in a better way.

Teachers, explore these online class productivity tips.

Learning how to ride a bike is truly a liberating feeling, and your bundle of joy deserves this. For every child, pedalling and cycling without training wheels is a significant milestone. However, teaching kids how to ride a bike without training wheels can be draining.  This is especially true because kids are usually scared of falling and parents are even more afraid of hurting kids.

Yet, we’re still motivated to do it because learning to ride a bike not only helps them with healthy physical growth but also instills in them a sense of responsibility.

In the age of iPads and other gaming consoles, this post is vitally important to encourage kids to get outdoors.  Learning to ride a bit is a fun place to start.  So, in this post we’ll share some tried and tested steps to ease the process!  And yes, without training wheels!

Prepping Kids for Riding the Bike

First of all, you cannot force a child to ride without training wheels. So, before we start sharing the details, make sure that your child is ready to take up this challenge. Now, let’s see what you need to do before going on the pavement;

• Make sure the child wears a helmet, and it sits properly on their head (the helmet should be one inch above the eyebrows. In addition to the helmet, wear protective gear, such as gloves, shin guards, and elbow guards.

• Check the bike’s tires and brakes. Properly inflated tires will ensure a safe and smooth ride, and they will be able to coast well. And obviously, brakes will assist them to stop whenever they want.

• Learning a new skill is always stressful for kids, so try to take it easy, allow them to loosen up, and just laugh if your child fails (it’s okay, and you must trust the process)

The Learning Process 

1. Walking Without Pedals

• The first step is to take out the pedals and let your child walk the bike while sitting on the seat.

• Now, lower the bike’s seat to make sure the child’s feet touch the ground (they must be flat on the ground). This will help them gain confidence since they will be able to touch the ground.

• Allow your child to walk the bike on the flat surface so they feel in control. Moreover, it gives them get accustomed to the feeling of steering and balancing the bike.

• Show them how the brakes are to be used and have them practice braking while walking along side the bicycle.  Teach them that the back brakes should only be used while simultaneously using the back brakes, so that they don’t fall over the handle bars.  Use of the back brakes can be used alone but using both front and back brakes together gives more control at higher speeds.

These four steps should be followed until they perfect it. As a result, they will learn complete control over their bike.

2. Coasting On the Bike

• Let your child coast down the slightly declining slopes with their feet up. It will help them get aware of the momentum without making them feel scared. Also, it will teach them how to balance (it’s suggested to find small slopes, for this purpose)

• As a parent, you need to stay at the bottom side of the slope, so your child can see when they ride through the slope. It will help them feel at ease and have a target to ride towards

• When they are riding down the slope, start timing them. It will eventually turn into a game, and they will start riding down faster. Moreover, when they are able to coast on continuously for fifteen seconds, install the pedals.

It’s important to encourage a positive attitude towards the entire leaning process.  Speak confidence into your child and tell them they have more than enough ability to be an excellent bike rider.  Relay your own positive experience if you can remember it.

3. Riding Bike with Pedals

 First of all, install the pedals and teach them that the left pedal tightens with counter-clockwise movement while the right pedal will tighten in the clockwise direction.

• Once the pedals are installed, hold to their side and let them start the bike with pedalling (they learn to pedal quicker as compared to balancing, so hurrah!)

• Lastly, don’t forget to teach them about starting pedalling from the stopped position. For this, let them stand with a foot on the ground and have their opposite foot sit on the pedal at two o’clock point. This positioning will let them push the pedals down and create momentum, helping them gain balance (you might need to teach this a few times before they get the hang of it, so stay calm)

Additional Tips to Ease Bike-Riding Learning Experience

• The biggest mistake is buying a bigger bike, thinking, “my child will grow into it.” That’s because if the bike is too big, they won’t have adequate control over it. Of course, riding safety is the key concern but you also want to give your child the best experience learning to ride their bike. Consult this kids bike size chart to determine the proper bike according to their age and height.

• Rather than starting them on rough pavement, teach them on the grass patches because the ground will be softer even if they fall. Secondly, choose a place with lesser people, so your munchkin doesn’t get embarrassed (they must feel confident to learn well).

• When they learn a step or get accustomed to some movement, make sure the next step is manageable and nothing too advanced. If your child asks for a break, allow them because learning can be challenging.

• Lastly, don’t forget to keep your calm. It’s fine to get intimidated when kids aren’t able to grasp an idea, but your yelling will only worsen the situation.

The Bottom Line

Riding a bike without training wheels can be scary for your kids, but it’s something they must learn, right? It not only helps them commute on their own, but it brings a sense of self-esteem, confidence, and balance, which is vital for their personality development. So, when are you hitting the road (or may we say a grass patch?)

Author’s Bio
Ned Anthony Taylor is an editor in chief of Daddy of Steel. A health and fitness Resource portal especially targeted to young dads. Who are kind of lost at the in kids, bills and Netflix.  It’s an attempt to encourage them to break this hamster wheel and have more energy, better health and enjoy more quality time with their kids.