If it was 20 or even 10 years ago, it would be different. Children back then we’re so active, playful and always on the go. During our time, it was not that hard, we have a big plaza where we play from 4 PM to sundown. We have trees, we have the whole road for our patinteros, we have the whole plaza for our hide and seek and we had so much fun! I remember when I was a kid, my aunt and uncles would join in the fun, we would play patintero at night in the middle of the road. I want my kids to experience it, to be like that, full of energy, full of life, active and of course healthy.
This year, I promised that I will be more involve with sports and encourage the kids to be the same (including the husband). It’s quite a challenge, specially that the kids prefer playing on their gadget than playing other things. Challenging because we’re all busy. To really make it work, we have to make time for it and be dedicated about it. This is one of the challenge of living in a techy world right? where everything else is so fast, it’s hard to step back a while and take it slow.
For parents like us who wants their kids to be active but have limited access to parks, sports and fitness center, here’s some Practical Parenting Tips On Raising Active (and Healthy!) Kids:
Posture. Start by correcting your kid’s posture. A slouchy person is a lazy person. Of course you have to lead by example. Always stand straight and do not slouch, specially if you are in front of the computer.
Healthy eating. Sa totoo lang ang hirap! what, with the presence of fast food and kid “friendly” meal. It’s easy to just order online and give in to a burger or fried chicken. In our case, we make sure that the kids eat vegetable and meat with the right proportion. We treat them fast food once in a while (once or twice a month). Drink is also an important part of their diet.
Simple and Fun Exercise. A simple 10-20 minute a day with your kid is enough. It does not only promote active lifestyle but also gives you time to bond with your kid. If you have no time for it, make time for it. If your place is small, play jog on place or jumping jack for 10 minutes. You can also climb the last 2 floors from to your unit if you live in your condo. Make it a routine with your kid. When inside malls, use the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator (haven’t tried it yet with the kids but it’s a brilliant idea).
Our line up of healthy activity this year includes joining at Fun Run (Run United this March will be our first), I registered the kids for 500 m dash and hopefully the next race they can join me on the 3k run. Swimming is also included on our list, I’m looking for affordable and swimming pool here in Pasig where the kids swim twice a month. On top of that, we try as much possible to jog and run at Pasig Rainforest 3-4 times per week.
