Last week I saw a report from Kaiser Permanente that the number of overweight people in the U.S. is increasing fastest in the 2-5 year-old population. That got me thinking about how often in recent months I’ve heard reasons why children were doing something other than exercising. I must admit, I got rather grouchy when I ran over the list in my mind. I’d love to hear what you do to assure that your little ones get plenty of exercise. (Eating appropriately is a different part of the topic that I’ll not address here.)
I talked to a distressed mother who had been arguing with her 4year-old about homework—yes, homework! Her daughter resisted the required printing practice during preschool. Her mother hoped to decrease the problem at preschool by having her daughter practice at home. This issue really bothers me because of how often I hear about 4-year olds who don’t want to sit and copy letters. They would rather bounce around and play. Which would be better for their health at this age?
Early academics in only one reason why children exercise less. A preschool teacher recently told me, “I can’t take the children outside on rainy days because parents complain that the children will catch cold even though they have rain gear.” I thought we proved long ago that colds are caused by viruses not the weather. In fact, keeping all those children crowded inside on rainy days exposes them more fully to the germs of others. Confinement also raises stress levels which in turn lowers immune response.
Recently a mother reported, “It really bothers me that my 2 and 4 year old boys just want to run around the house. Why can’t they play more quietly?” Then there was a 5-year-old I heard squeal as her friend arrived on a play date: “I have a new video we can watch!” Such opportunity for mobility and creativity wasted on a sedentary video….
Additional painful reports include, “We live in a small apartment with no yard.” “It’s not safe to let my children play outside in front of our house.”
What do you do to assure your chidlren get the many hours of daily exercise that Mother Nature intended at this age?
Helen F. Neville, BS, RN
For more about development and appropriate academics, see
Is This a Phase? Child Development and Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years http://www.ParentingPress.com
Posted by helenfn 
Parenting Reflections 