Sports and Exercise

While it is important to do all that you can to make sure that your little one is active and healthy, it is also just as important to make sure that they are happy in the sort of activity that they are doing. While many toddlers will be too young to join organized sports teams, it is at this early phase of their life that they will first learn to get into the activities that will hopefully keep them active throughout their adult life.

Here are some points to consider for your child's first sports experience:

• Do not force your children to become involved in sports that they do not seem to be interested in. Just because it is of interest to you, it may not be to your children. They may prefer to try some other active endeavour.  
• Choose activities for your children that suit their body type. Not all children are born dexterous and coordinated. If your child is more awkward, that is okay. He or she does not have to be the best football player on the field.
• Have realistic expectations of your children in sports. As mentioned, do not try to live through your children's sporting accomplishments. It will put undue pressure on them and potentially make them resent the game they are playing.
• Do not compare your children to other children that they might know. This will only make them feel insecure about themselves and the sports you are trying to get them to enjoy.
• First and foremost, play sports with your children out of love first, not competition. If they begin to love the activity, their natural inclination will be to excel at it, but it will come from a positive place, not a negative one.

By Chris Giardino