It's time to reverse the trends and take matters into our own hands (as well as the remote controls!) It's time to put the children back in the playgrounds, hand them over to fun and adventure, and let us quit worrying and pressurizing too much! We've all suffered scraped knees, stubbed toes, and playgound rivalry in childhood, and none of us are the worse for it! If truth be told, we have learned invaluable life-lessons through these experiences, and we need to allow our children to learn from their own. Not letting them have these experiences through over-protecting and worry is just going to deprive them of necessary life-skills. What can we do to achieve this?
Neighbourhood parks can be made more sports-friendly by active follow-ups with government officials. Schools usually have space and sports facilities, so school authorities can be approached to let children use their facilities in the evenings. In societies, we can assign an area, chip in and buy a T.T. table, put up badminton nets, basketball hoops, etc. Skipping ropes, hoola hoops, roller-skates, skateboards, swing sets, etc. can be bought and children can have free access to them. Take the initiative and mobilize other children and their parents in these efforts. Talk to the local sports club about offering their facilites at a reduced rate for group registrations. It is not necessary that children only need vast open fields to play, even a backyard jungle gym, rock-climbing wall, or a cycling or running track around the block is enough for them to enjoy or exercise. Even a simple neighbourhood tree can be good to climb! These simple solutions need initial hard work, but the long-term benefits are many.
TV, computer, X-Box, Playstations, etc. HAVE to take a backseat! I will reiterate here that as parents, we should take back the control on these issues. It's not going to be an easy job, but can be done through discipline and sacrifice. Disciplining your children means setting rules in place, allotting time for homework, sports and other chores.TV viewing or computer games should be only for a limited amount of time, if necessary. Sacrifice means giving up these activities yourself so you can set good examples for your children, and be more involved parents!
How can we get children interested in sports? First, let them play just to have a good time. For them, it's not about winning or losing, it's just about 'fun'. Let the child choose his/her own sport/game. So if you've always dreamed of being a cricketer, and your son chooses basketball, just be happy for him and 'get over it'! Children who excel at sports are usually the ones who have a passion for it. Some children prefer solitary sports like tennis, swimming, martial arts, track and field, gymnastics, etc., while others prefer team sports like football, cricket, basketball, etc. If the children are training for any sport, find out if the coach not only knows the game well, but can treat the participants with positive encouragement, because the coach influences not only the child's game, but also his attitude.
As parents, we should also get the right 'sports attitude'. We need to question ourselves whether our children are playing sports to validate our self-worth and goals, do they have to become 'stars', or do we just want them to enjoy themselves and achieve their own potential? We also have to take the pressure off, give them a healthy view of competition and success. Competitive frenzy affects parents more than children! Dilip Vengsarkar once said, “I did not have to prove myself. That is exactly why I proved myself”. Have realistic expectations according to your child's capabilities and not according to what others are doing. Not every child can be a prodigy. In fact, only 3% of children who play competitive sports will ever reach elite levels, but 100% of them can be allowed to enjoy sports! If the child wants to make sports his sole focus, even if he is not a star performer, just 'let be', as he is playing for his dreams, not yours.
While they play, always applaud their efforts. I don't mean false praise, but focus on something they do well, like a good shot or catch. Also appreciate the efforts of the other children playing with or against your child. This encourages them to appreciate the ability in others, and learn to lose gracefully. Help them to handle defeat and disappointment by instilling in them that winning or losing is not as important as always giving your best. Teach them to make personal goals rather than competitive ones. Also get 'sporty' with your kids. Fly a kite together, learn how to skate, go rock-climbing or trekking with them, teach them the moves of your favourite sport(s), make a treasure-map and go on a 'treasure hunt'! Children love it when their Mom and Dad play with them, we can be their 'cool' parents, and playing sports with our children is guaranteed to take the 'years' off!
al mother-teacher, runs Life Express - an after-school center for children. She can be reached at juhimalini@gmail.com. She also writes 'Reflections of an inner Journey'
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