Gymnastics, swimming, martial arts, baseball, softball, football, soccer, ballet, cheer, music …the list goes on and on. Parents are given ample options when it comes to finding activities for your kids. The question is, how do you know what is right for your kids? As parents, our job is to introduce them to as many new things as we can so they have the opportunity to try it. They can decide later on if it’s something they want to pursue but when it comes to young kids, parents have a big hand in helping them discover what they like and what they excel at.
Will enrolling your 6 year old in gymnastics ensure she becomes an Olympian? Will enrolling them in martial arts at a young age ensure they will make it as a professional boxer or mixed martial arts fighter? The answer is no. But you are giving them a head start and the foundation to achieve those goals.
We enrolled our three year old in soccer and she absolutely hated it. She did not like being outside in the hot sun. She kicked the ball around with her leg looking like a limp noodle. However, she loved ballet and art class. At age five, she reluctantly started Jiu Jitsu. There were tears but years later she is progressing and enjoys it. She made friends in class and loves her coaches. We are a martial arts family and Jiu Jitsu is non negotiable. She knows this. We nudge but not push. It happened naturally because we made it part of our lifestyle. You can read our story here. She is six now and we alternate between swimming, gymnastics, art, and dance/cheer. She is enrolled in two activities at a time with Jiu Jitsu always being one. Although it’s offered three times a week, we try to attend two classes a week. Some weeks we make both and some weeks we don’t make any and that’s ok. Two activities at a time is a good balance for her. She stays busy without feeling burnt out.
Our second daughter started toddler gymnastics, ballet, and swimming lessons at three years old. The goal is really just to get her used to being away from mom and dad. To give her time to socialize with her peers. When she turned four we started up the Jiu Jitsu talks since she was there watching big sister anyway. We asked her if she wanted to take class with her sister every class and the answer was consistently a “no” and then it finally turned into a “yes”! Her best friend of the same age also tried class for the first time that day so that made it a lot easier. I wouldn’t say she loved it, but she definitely didn’t hate it. She’s been going for a few months now and getting braver and more excited each time. We have the greatest youth coaches, no bias.
So how to you find the right activity for your kids? Kids tend to tell and show you what they are interested in. If they are kicking and punching everything and tell you they want to become a ninja, kickboxing would be an obvious answer. If their dad plays ice hockey and your family watches hockey religiously, chances are, your kid will want to play hockey. Talk to you kids and gage their interest.
There are things you as a parent want them to learn. Like swimming. Everyone should learn to swim. Sign them up and have them try it. If you ask them if they want to try something, they are likely to say no because 1)they don’t know what it is and 2)they are scared. You may met resistance and there might be tears but they may just end up loving it while learning a very valuable life skill.
Tips helping your kids thrive in their activities:
1)Talk to them! See what they are interested in. Ask them how class was. Communication is the key to success!
2)Watch them! Put your phones down. They are watching you watch them. Let them see how proud you are of them. You are their biggest cheerleader.
3)Be patient – it may take a few sessions for your kid to get comfortable in class
4)Celebrate growth…any and all of it.
