Last week, your child could barely run 100 meters steadily, but today they are trying to walk on a straight beam. Well, children grow and develop rapidly during 5 and 6 years of age. They don’t just develop emotional and social skills, they even learn to run, walk straight, use a pencil and enjoy different sports. But a child at age 5 or 6 is very impressionable and may not develop gross motor skills effectively if she or he is not active. That’s why you as a mother need to be active.
What you need to know
We tend to assume that young children are naturally active and therefore, we may not be active in front of them. But being inactive yourself can have a negative influence on your child. In fact, studies show that parents who don’t exercise themselves may unintentionally raise sedentary kids, with lesser gross motor skills than those parents who are actively involved in exercise.
So, remember that active moms raise active kids. We recommend that as a mother (or even a father), you must enjoy at 150 minutes of exercise and activity to stay fit. This will prompt your child to take up activities such as climbing, running, jumping or enjoying sports at a kids’ playground. Also, make sure that you spend some of this time doing a few activities with them.
