Young people get easily bored today, no thanks to social media. They find ways to amuse themselves, which sometimes leads them to the wrong path. Your kid may not have found their passion and interests yet, but nothing should stop you from introducing a love for sports to them. Research found that participating in sports strengthens their muscles and bones, makes them more sociable, and reduces the risk of obesity and depression.
If you have a Stalker radar gun for baseball, you can use it to organize a junior baseball league in the community. This will encourage your kid to participate in sports rather than stay inside the house all day, playing with their gaming console or binge-watching TV shows.
Guide Your Child
Help your child choose a sport that suits their age, talents, and physical abilities. You cannot force them to love a sport that you want to play yourself. It has to be something that they want to play. Otherwise, this will only lead to resistance, boredom, and depression. They might only resent you for it. You should also choose a sport that you can afford because your child might be forced to give it up once it gets too costly.
Enroll Your Child in Lessons
You can show your support to your child by enrolling them in lessons that will teach them the basics of the sport. It is important that they know how to play the sport properly to keep them safe. It will also satisfy your mind if you know that your child has the proper know-how of playing the sport. Other things that you can do to show your child that you support them is driving them to their practices, watching their games, and cheering for them.
Talk About What Failure Is to Your Child
One day, your children will come running to you, tears running down their faces because they have lost a game. They cannot accept it. That’s the time you’ll have to explain to them that failure is part of the process and that losing a game will teach them more than winning a game can. According to research, you have to let your children express their disappointment over losing or failing. You need to hear and see how they handle the loss and determine what you can do to boost their morale.
Don’t Overdo It
Some parents tend to enroll their kids in all kinds of sports that they end up playing four to five sports at the same time. Other parents get too intense that they want their kids to focus on one sport. While both of these approaches may be beneficial to the kids, there are some drawbacks, too. Playing more than three sports might make it seem like a job. You’re essentially stripping the fun off doing such activities. The key is to allow them to choose what they want—whether they want to do five things at once or just focus on a single activity. Your role is to support them.
If it so happens that your kid will one day lose interest in a sport they used to love, don’t force them to love it again. Instead, ask them what went wrong and why they don’t want to play the game anymore. Encourage them to seek other activities—arts or writing or music—that will interest them.