What is it with kids and exercise these days? It seems to me that they are so addicted to screens that they won't go outside anymore.
I'll admit that my kids are a bit on the heavy side which makes me feel pretty ordinary as a parent. It just seems that if they are to exercise, then either my wife or I has to organise it. This is in stark contrast to when I was a kid - I never wanted to be inside where I could be hassled by my parents!
These days however; if I send my kids outside they simply sit by the back door waiting to come back in - this is what my dogs do! They seem to have lost the ability to use their imagination and just play.
All this means that our children don't get fit as a byproduct of what they're doing anymore - fitness activities actually have to be organised and structured! This makes it all unnatural. My parents didn't have to worry about my fitness - they simply let me go and I got fit because of what I was doing. This problem is a bit like adults going to the gym - as you know most people go for a little while and then quite because the gym is simply not fun. If however; you are out doing physical activities that you love, you will become fit without even thinking about it.
I'm not sure what the answer is here other than banning the screens and introducing them to as many activities as possible in the hope that they'll find one they like. One thing is for sure however; we can't do nothing as this will set our kids up for a life of ill health.
What do you think?