When aiming to raise active kids, attitude is (almost) everything.
by author Katherine Janson

As Winston Churchill put it, attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. And, when it comes to raising children, parents’ attitudes make a particularly big difference in the lives of their kids.

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” says Kelly Murumets, President and CEO of ParticipACTION. “And this holds true for physical activity levels. The Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card tells us that parental attitudes towards physical activity influence both their children’s attitudes towards being active, and their levels of participation.”

Support and encouragement are essential ingredients for anyone trying to make a behaviour change or adopt a certain lifestyle. Parents may think that taking their children to the park or soccer practice is ample to keep them active, but that alone is not enough.

“Parents have to walk the walk and talk the talk. If mom is excited to go to her own weekly hockey game, and dad’s first choice to run errands is to walk instead of taking the car, the kids will pick up on this,” says Murumets.

Attitudes towards physical activity in the home are the social norms your children will grow up with and accept as their own. Kids in an active home will be more likely to grow into adults who look forward to their own weekly sports league or daily wheel home from work.

If you are a parent trying to set a healthy example for your family, remember that an active lifestyle is not the same as an exercise program. Try to broaden your thinking from the gym and weight room to your daily routine—there are plenty of small choices that you make, every day, that add up to being considered active. So, keep taking the kids to soccer practice, and find other ways to help your kids develop positive attitudes towards physical activity:

Be an active role model

Inspire your child to be active by living an active lifestyle yourself, including 60 minutes of daily physical activity, comprised of activities that include strength, endurance and flexibility .

Use appropriate discipline

Want to reward your child? Use physical activity! Let them spend an extra 15 minutes playing outside for a job well done. And if you need to discipline your child, don’t take physical activity time away—this could be a time when physical activity could do them some good.

Expand their horizons

Choose books that tell positive stories about physical activity or tell Olympic tales. You can also encourage your child to act out parts of the story.

Volunteer

Volunteer to coach or help out with your child’s sport team or club. Research shows that physical activity levels increase in children whose parents help out, coach or support their pursuits .

Dress them appropriately

Encourage your child to wear clothing that is easy to move around in—and be ok with it if he or she gets dirty.

Get active while getting away

Vacations are special family time. Show the importance of physical activity by holidaying in an active destination with skiing, hiking or a pool nearby.

Give them gold stars

Your encouragement is very important, so be sure to show your approval when your child is active. Consider taking a picture of your child being active to hang on the wall or post on the fridge.

For tips and inspiration on adding more movement into your life, visit www.participACTION.com

Katherine Janson is the PR and Communications Manager of ParticipACTION

Source: alive Web Exclusive, February 2010