“Kids will get the wrong impression; they’ll see it more as a chore and not something they enjoy with their parents,” Harris says. “They lose the social aspect and connection with other people during the activity.” Comeau maintains there shouldn’t be too much of a focus on how well a child is or isn’t doing when exercising or partaking in a sport. If the focus is on the success, this could cause a child to become frustrated or overwhelmed and they might quit. “You also have to let kids own it,” Comeau says. “I ran competitive track for years… and I lost my first race by a lot; I got crushed and it was okay; as long you like it enough, you’re going to keep doing it. “Let it be the kids (choose); parents shouldn’t worry if the kids don’t make the team and shouldn’t be saying for them to try harder. The first question should always be ‘Did you have fun?’” On the other side of structured activity, Harris says parents need to also avoid making a child focus on one or two particular sports. Parents need to be open to their children trying different things at different times in their lives. “If they specialize too early, they will be less likely to stay with that activity and adopt new activities,” he says. Even if a kid is enjoying a sport or activity, Comeau says there is one other thing parents need to be acutely aware of: overscheduling. If a child has too many activities on the go, she says they could fall back into old habits because they don’t have enough leisure time. ‘We’re a very busy society,” Comeau says. “Kids, they’re not really doing stuff when they’re not scheduled; they’re home on their screen or whatever; they aren’t outside.” Thus, there needs to be a balance between structured activities, unstructured activities like walking or biking, and leisure time.
“There should be a balance of structure and fun and an emphasis should be on play and enjoyment and an appropriate amount (of activity) and variety,” Harris says.
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Resources There are a variety of resources in the Halifax Regional Municipality you can use to encourage your child to be more active. These range from tips and suggestions from experts to programs and facilities. Some examples include:
YMCA • ymcahfx.ca
Indoor playgrounds
Recreation Nova Scotia • recreationns.ns.ca Canada Games Centre • canadagamescentre.ca
The F.I.T Files (blog written by Sue Comeau as her book’s protagonist Finn) • fitfiles.net HRM Recreation • halifax.ca/recreation Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre: • Kids N Culture mymnfc.com/ programs_education_cap.php
Nova Scotia Health Promoting Schools • nshps.ca/
• Happy Kids Indoor Playground in Bedford (happykidshalifax.ca) • Hop, Skip, Jump in Halifax www (hopskipjump.ca) • The Kids Fun Factory in Dartmouth www (thekidsfunfactory.ca) • The Playbox in Dartmouth(funattheplaybox.ca)
Resources mentioned in the article include:
• doctorsns.com/en/home/yourhealth/ physicalactivity.aspx • canada.ca/en/public-health/services/ health-promotion/healthy-living/ physical-activity/physical-activity-tips- children-5-11-years.html • csep.ca/cmfiles/guidelines/csep_ guidelines_handbook.pdf • statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2015001/ article/14136-eng.htm
HRM: KidSport • kidsportcanada.ca/nova-scotia/ halifax-regional-municipality/
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When it comes to more structured activities such as hockey, basketball, football and dance, parents need to avoid putting too much pressure on children. Harris says parents need to enjoy or participate in the activity as much as their children do. That way, the kid doesn’t feel they’re being forced into it and, as kids, might have little to no say.
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