Sunday, September 21, 2008

Happy News Monday Kids' Fitness

http://www.happynews.com/news/9192008/kid-gyms-send-children-play-treadmills.htm
I'm not sure how I feel about this article.
There is one of these kid fitness places next to the dojon where my son does Taekwondo. When it opened I talked to the guy and realized there was a market for it. And he isn't packed, but there are always kids in there.
One person says in the article that she bought Wii Fit so she didn't have to force her kids to be active. It didn't seem right to her.
First off, as parents we often have to force our kids to do things they don't want. Secondly, if we live an active lifestyle our kids will.
I read this article after taking an hour long hike with my family. It isn't something we do every weekend, but it is something I wish we could do every weekend.
So what's wrong with making your kid be active?
I live in an area where the kids can be highly scheduled so it isn't simple to just go out and play wiht the kids in the neighborhood, but frankly, most video games are done by themselves so why can't a kid ride his bike by himself?
I'm old-fashioned, I realize. My kids are limited in their video game use. They are limited to their tv watching also.
I'm not as strict as some, but not as free as most, I guess.
So what do you think this says about our society that kids have to go to the gym to get exercise instead of walking outside their house?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think it's a shame kids can't entertain themselves with their own imagination and get good exercise because of the games they play outdoors anymore. My childhood was lived and enjoyed out of doors, climbing trees, biking around town, playing pickup baseball and football, swimming. But it's a sign of the times. I mean, we didn't get a TV until I was ten, and it was black and white and we watched family friendly (that's all that was on of course - lol) shows together on family nights eating popcorn. I'm showing my age of course, but I think it's a doggone shame kids have to be entertained all the time in order to not get bored or be induced into getting some exercise.

Holly Jahangiri said...

I think it's sad. But just how comfortable would you be, letting your child take long walks around the neighborhood (the way we used to, as kids), knowing that there are at least five convicted child molesters living within a few blocks of your home?

I think it's sad that we've become so litigious that we'd sue a next door neighbor if our beloved child climbed their tree and broke a leg when the branch cracked. (Used to be, we'd worry more that the neighbor would be upset that Johnny broke their tree.)

I think it's sad we have to have fences between the yards in our neighborhoods.

I think...

Well, there's a upside, too. I know I enjoy being active WITH my son in Boy Scouts (never thought I'd say THAT!). I even enjoy camping, now. I spaced my kids eight years apart, so that once the younger one got involved in extracurricular activities, the older one was driving and we didn't need to juggle schedules so much.

There are trade-offs. I don't think as a parent you can just sit back and let your kids do whatever they gravitate towards doing; my son plays too many video games, but I use that as incentive to make him read and get out and try lots of new things, as well. (His "addiction" to video games has taught him how powerless other addictions can make you - I can take away his DS and it's amazing how quickly and pleasantly he complies with requests to do chores, or to read! He knows it will go away for months and months if his grades drop. But in all seriousness, I think he understands why he NEVER wants to indulge in drugs or alcohol.)