Keep Your Kids Active: Tips To Choose The Right Sport For Your Young Ones
There is something wonderful for parents when they can begin to see glimpses of what the future of their child might be based on his or her personality. It’s not uncommon for observant moms and dads to be able to guess what type of career would suit their kids best, based on how they behave in certain situations. For example, a quiet and creative child seem to have the right mindset to solve the problems of a future architect. But have you considered that you child’s personality should already impact on the choices you help them make today, and specifically on the right type of sports activity for them? Sport is an essential factor of a healthy development for kids, and for all the right reasons: Firstly, being active is a key element of keeping a healthy body at all ages, so it’s best to get your kids used to it when they are young so that it can become a habit! Secondly, the physical development of children depends very much on the muscles they will train. While you are not looking at heavy bodybuilding practice, it’s important for kids to keep their muscles active as this will avoid any painful growth issues. Finally, sport enables children to develop their social behavior, and how they will behave in future social situations, whether it is with their clients or in the office team. Indeed, sports activities let kids explore the multiple facets of socialization and prepare them for the adult life. In short, this is why you should start looking for sports options for your child as soon as they are 6. And now there’s a helpful guide to making sure that you can choose the right sport for them.
Is Your Kid Cooperative?
Team sports have the particularity that they create an entity that transcends every single person in the group: The team. Indeed, in team sports, what matters most is that how the team is doing.
You would have noticed this from following your favorite team sports on TV; it’s always the team that loses or wins, not the individual players, although the responsibility can lie within specific players. If your child loves to help others to create something exciting, such as helping you to bake cookies for example, then team sport might just be the thing for them. However, you need to know that in team sports the social pressure is very high because the performance of the team depends on the performance of each single player. Consequently, the coach will need to be not only very understanding when the team loses, but also able to motivate the kids and to help them stay positive and find the lesson in each victory and each failure. It’s the coach’s job to build a solid social community within the team so that the pressure doesn’t destroy the fun. There are a variety of team sports that kids can start at a young age, such as soccer or baseball for example. With each, it is very likely that your kids will be able to try all the field positions as they learn the basics to determine what they enjoy most. As a result, you will need to make sure that they have the right equipment, such as http://www.thebaseballdiamond.com/the-top-5-best-baseball-gloves-for-youth/ for baseball players, so that nothing comes between them and fun.
Is Your Kid A Solitary Perfectionist Who Doesn’t Enjoy Groups?
Not every child can enjoy team sports. Everyone is different, and it is normal that some kids will prefer to be the one responsible for their success. The don’t want the team to win; they want to be the winner. While there is a lower sense of camaraderie at first in solitary sports, you will need to remember that every sport has its club. This is where your child can develop a sense of social involvement and social behavior that will be vital to their adult life. Solitary sports, such as dance, tennis or even horse riding, are not pressure free. Indeed, the pressure in those is very high, sometimes even higher than for team sports, but it also mostly self-inflicted. There is little social pressure, which makes a big difference for kids who don’t react well to being dependent and relying on others to have fun. While most parents prefer to see their children in a team, you need to remember that solitary sports are equally important for the healthy development of your child, and that consequently you shouldn’t force them to join a team against their will, as you can see on http://www.huffingtonpost.com. Kids who prefer to perform on their own tend to develop a high sense of perfectionism and responsibility, which you will often see in high-level managers and strategists in big companies. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these types of sports activities, and you can rest assured that your child is developing valuable social habits with them too.
Does Your Kid Prefer To Be One With Nature?
Some children can’t handle social pressures, whether they come from a team or their desire for performance, very well. This is normal; after all, not every adult feels comfortable under pressure. You shouldn’t force your child to join a team or do better at their favorite sport: Remember that this has to be fun! Introverted children will tend to prefer working away from the stress of achievement to focus on their inner peace. They like quiet spaces, such as a park on a Sunday morning, or even lying down in the garden to watch the clouds. Often, they will find a sense of peace in activities that involve being connected to natural elements, so it’s important to encourage them in the right direction. Activities such as climbing, hiking, swimming, or even surfing will be best suited for these children. Often, looking for local camps or sports schools will help your kid to get started. As they are ready to join a school, you will see that they will learn to develop healthy social behavior patterns to interact with others and to protect themselves too.
In short, pick the best activity to suit the personality of your child. Don’ worry if it isn’t a success at first. You and your child are just trialing!
