Raising Successful Boys Isn’t Hard — Just Let Them Be Active
Sometimes it seems that the most obvious answers are the right ones. We know that it's harmful to our health and productivity to sit for hours each day. In the workplace, we've made significant strides in trying to address like corporate gym memberships, standing desks, and apps that remind us to exercise.
So why would it be any different for our children? They need to be more active.
So Why Haven't We Done The Same For School-Aged Children?
We expect kids to sit through six to eight hours of school each day with minimal breaks. It's not surprising that it would make some children restless, especially little boys.
Boys are constantly on the move at a young age, engaging in behavior that is considered inappropriate and distracting like running around, talking loudly, and not being able to sit still.
Children And Boys Especially Need Time To Be Active.
A study conducted by the University of Eastern Finland found, "...that lower levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity, higher levels of sedentary time, and particularly their combination, were related to poorer reading skills in boys."
The study goes on to explain that it also impacted their ability to do well in subjects like math.
But It Doesn't Stop With Education.
There is a serious concern, and research, to support that the lack of physical activity in a child's life will lead to long term physical and mental health issues. Angela Hanscom, a pediatric therapist, found that a lot of children have been told that many of the activities that keep them active aren't safe.
Children would explain to her that they had monkey bars that they weren't allowed to use, they couldn't play in any wooded areas, and were even forbidden to play in the snow.
Behavioral Issues Also Arise.
All that energy with no place to go isn't healthy for the children, either physically or mentally. Not being able to burn off that energy leads to aggressiveness, frustration, and less control over their emotions.
There has been a 40 percent increase in the number of children diagnosed with ADHD over the past eight years because the definition of ADHD has become so wide.
We Have To Push For Change.
While there have been attempts to give younger children more recess time, they're often shot down because it isn't deemed important or because it would interfere with standardized testing.
But, there is hope. A school in Texas added more active time to their daily routine and found that the children were better behaved and even relied on their own problem-solving skills more. If we want children to be successful, we need to allow them to be active.
