Your Words and Actions Matter
by Rae Pica
In my last column, “Lead by Example,” I talked about how important it is for you to be a positive role model where physical activity is concerned. I’d like to expand on that here.
To put it bluntly: If you want your child to move, you’ve got to get moving, too.
Playing together is the simplest way for you and your child to get some physical activity. And, unlike efforts to get your child to eat his peas, you won’t have to worry about getting resistance from him. Children were born to move; they take to play like birds to the sky. They also love having your company and your undivided attention. Your only “problem” may come when it’s time to stop playing!
Also, to further serve as a role model, you can plan parties, outings, and vacations around physical activity. Looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon? Go to the roller-skating rink. Planning a vacation? How about a trip to the mountains, where you can hike and swim, rather than to an amusement park, where you’ll stand in lines and then sit on rides? Will you be inviting dozens of your child’s friends to a backyard birthday party? Why not set up play stations – one with bubbles to chase, another with balloons to volley, and still another with beanbags to balance – where the children, divided into groups, play for a while and then rotate?
Remember, though: your participation and attitude alone won’t be enough; your words will also play a vital role. That means you’ll want to give serious consideration to what you do or don’t say.
For instance, a series of studies conducted in the 1990s discovered that parents’ enjoyment and encouragement of physical activity had a significant impact not only on their children’s attitude toward physical activity but also on their feelings of competence in it. Unfortunately, parents gave more encouragement to their sons than to their daughters. As a result the girls perceived they had less physical competence, and they didn’t feel as good about physical activity as did the boys.
Also, the words you choose when a child asks to go outside to play can foster either positive or negative feelings about play and movement. If you respond enthusiastically to the child’s request, positive feelings will flow. If, however, you place constraints on your permission – “OK, but don’t get dirty”; “OK, but play nice”; “OK, but stay on the porch” – you’re giving the impression that you’d rather she just stay still. And you definitely don’t want to do that!
Rae Pica is a children’s physical activity specialist and the author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity, and Free Time Create a Successful Child (Da Capo Press, 2006) and Great Games for Young Children (Gryphon House, 2006). She has shared her expertise with such clients as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Centers for Disease Control, Gymboree Play & Music, and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. She is also co-creator and host of "Body, Mind and Child," a radio program in which she interviews experts in the fields of early childhood education, child development, the neurosciences, and more. Listen at www.bodymindandchild.com.
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