HOW TO GET YOUR LITTLE ONES MORE ACTIVE AND ENERGETIC

One of the greatest challenges for parents today is the lack of activity that plagues their children today. Gone are the days, when the kids would zoom through their homework, post school and zoom out of the door, for a game of catch, or cricket with their mates. Today, kids would much rather stay indoors and play virtual games of football and other sports, with their friends over the internet, than indulge in it themselves. 

One of the greatest challenges for parents today is the lack of activity that plagues their children today. Gone are the days, when the kids would zoom through their homework, post school and zoom out of the door, for a game of catch, or cricket with their mates. Today, kids would much rather stay indoors and play virtual games of football and other sports, with their friends over the internet, than indulge in it themselves. 

Most pediatricians and child psychologists agree that without the rough and tumble, that is associated with growing up, children’s social development takes a hit. How then does a mom or dad, get his little one’s more excited about an active lifestyle? Here’s a quick guide to making your little ones more active and energetic!

1. Gamify everything: Turn routine tasks into a big game. Pit one sibling against another. Tasks like cleaning their rooms or rearranging their closets can easily be made into an activity, akin to their online games. Create a leaderboard and give out points. This makes chores more fun and challenging to do. Ensure that the chores get done in a time bound manner. Offer them surprises and experiences to spur them on. The activity kids can get from chores, makes them responsible and definitely that much more active.
   
2. Unplug them: When designing your kids’ room ensure that they have just the bare essentials by way of gaming consoles and other ‘sedentary’ time wasters. The extra space you get from ridding their rooms of this stuff can be replaced with sporting implements like bats, footballs and racquets for tennis or badminton. Keep the LCD screens to a minimum and restrict them to the common living areas of the home. Regulate your kids’ internet time to maybe a few hours every week.
3. Take a family walk: A great way for your kids and you to get more active is to make a ritual out of a family walk. Every morning (before they pack off to school), a stroll down the lane, or a brisk 15 minute walk in the building compound for the entire family will do all of you a world of good. 
4. Take up a father-son sport: Granted that you are a busy parent and may not always have the time to hang out with your children. Taking up a father-son, father-daughter or mother-daughter sport, like badminton, tennis or even a simple bicycle ride a few times a week will help you bond with your little one and give them the motivation to live a more active life.
5. Set a good example: If your kid sees that you are an active person, he/she will also take up that lifestyle. Take your child to the market. But walk from your home, if the market isn’t too far away. 
6. Get them a pet: A pet is a responsibility and also one of the best ways to introduce some activity into your little ones’ routine. Chasing after a naughty puppy, taking it for walks and tending to it will add an element of fun, responsibility and of course copious amounts of movement and exercise to their day!

We hope this post has given you several useful ideas on how to add a little bit of activity into your little ones’ daily routine. Do get back to us with any ideas that you might have in the comments section below.  

Note: This article is written by the in-house content writer of www.tanyasjewelry.com and is for information purpose only.