Dictionary For Dads

Children need activities:

Being active is a key component of good health for all school-age kids. It will strengthen their muscles and bones and ensure that their bodies are capable of doing normal kid stuff, like lifting a backpack or running a race. It also will help control their weight and decrease their risk of obesity related illnesses. So how do you get kids motivated to be active, especially those who aren't natural athletes?

How much activity is needed:

Your child should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day of the week. As children get older, with increasing demands on their time, getting a full hour of exercise can become a challenge especially with the mass marketing of sedentary activities like TV , movies and computer games. Even a lot of studying and reading, while important, can result in too little physical activity. It is important to teach children to maintain a balance and managing activities can be a great place to start.

As children grow:

Children often experience dilemmas when it comes to sports. Those who are athletic might end up increasing their time and commitment to sports, which is great for their physical fitness. Additionally, the more casual athletes may lose interest and decide to quit teams and leagues. Unless they find substitute activities, they will not be getting the exercise they need.

Expectations:

Reasonable expectations are also important when it comes to how much kids can handle mentally. Younger kids often are not ready for the pressure of competition, nor can they grasp complex strategy. Look for teams, leagues, and classes that stress the basics and provide encouragement and praise for kids as they improve their skills. Done correctly, team sports and other group activities can teach kids a lot about teamwork and good sportsmanship.

Not into Sports:

Your child can be fit even if he or she is not into the traditional sports teams. The key is finding activities your child enjoys regardless of what your aspirations are for your child. The options are many from roller blading, to bike riding, to tennis, or even swimming. When kids find an activity that's fun, they'll do it a lot, get better at it, feel accomplished, and want to do it even more. Likewise, if you push them into activities they don't like, they're unlikely to want to do participate and will end up feeling frustrated.

It’s all a Learning Process: 

Whether it's baseball or ice hockey, if your child doesn't enjoy an activity and continues to feels frustrated after giving it an honest effort it is time to switch activities. Regardless of success or failure, the  experience the child has with the activity is beneficial for them. It is as valuable to help a child realize what they likes as it is to help them realize what they do not like. The only way to discover your natural skills and abilities is to experiment with them in many forms. Many insecure children will shy away from team sports being embarrassed that they are not as skilled as others. Dictionary For Dads encourages you to support and reinforce your children to challenge their fears and not cheat themselves from fun activities. Remind them that they  have to crawl before they walk and they will never realize their true potential if they do not try. The only thing they have to fear is fear itself.

Activities for Six to Eight Year old: 

At this age expose your children to a good variety of games and sports. Make sure they are fun for the child to do. There should be a balance of activities at school and home. At this stage children are still mastering fundamental physical skills, such as jumping, throwing, kicking, and catching. It will take a few more years before most children can combine these skills the way many 11-year-old children can (for instance, being able to scoop up a baseball, run toward the base, and throw the ball — all in one fluid motion). So if your child is on a sports team, make sure you and the coaches are setting realistic expectations

Activities for Nine to Twelve Year-old: 

These older school-age kids usually have mastered basic skills and can start enjoying the benefits of being more coordinated. That means a kid who likes basketball isn't wildly throwing the ball at the basket anymore, but is perfecting the free throw. Kids this age are also better able to understand the rules. Parents of kids involved in team sports might want to talk about handling setbacks and losses, and remind kids that sports should still be fun even as competition heats up.

Activities for Teens:

Cardio-vascular exercise is perfect for teens that are independent and like variety. Some possibilities include running, in-line skating, cycling, swimming, tennis,  basketball, dancing, kick-boxing, hockey, soccer, rowing, elliptical trainer, cross-country skiing, jumping rope, racquetball, handball, squash, Ice-skating, and swimming.

• The intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more should be reduced whenever high heat and humidity reach critical levels.
• At the beginning of a strenuous exercise program or after traveling to a warmer climate, the intensity and duration of exercise should be limited initially and then gradually increased during a period of 10 to 14 days to accomplish acclimatization to the heat.
• Before prolonged physical activity, the child should be well-hydrated. During the activity, periodic drinking should be enforced, for example, each 20 minutes, 5 oz of cold tap water or a flavored sports drink for a child weighing 90 lbs, and 9 oz for an adolescent weighing 130 lbs, even if the child does not feel thirsty.
• Clothing should be light-colored and lightweight and limited to one layer of absorbent material to facilitate evaporation of sweat. Sweat-saturated shirts should be replaced by dry clothing.
• Practices and games played in the heat should be shortened and more frequent water/hydration breaks should be instituted.

Dictionary For Dads recently formed a strategic partnership  with " The Partnership For A Drug Free America". We have been given access to great links and site information as a result of our new relationship.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America" and Major League Baseball are proud to introduce a new online resource to educate teens about the dangers of steroids and other performance enhancing substances and encourage them to "Play Healthy." In addition to comprehensive information about the risks of performance enhancing substances, the site provides parents, caregivers and coaches with the tools to communicate with teens and drive home the message that it's not worth risking their health to get ahead in sports.

Parents and coaches can download a free Talk Kit to help guide conversations about the value of healthy competition among young athletes, and a new blog, Coaches Corner, offers a place to connect with others on this important health issue.