Hello there…I just need to know if I am the only one thinking this: I believe that too many extra- curricular activities is playing a role in the obesity of our children. I truly do.

How strongly do you feel this plays a role?

I have so many friends and neighbours that are constantly complaining about how busy they are. They then go on to say that tonight after school they need to bring their daughter to piano, then their son to hockey, and by the time they are home there is no time to make dinner so it’s dinner ‘on the road’ once again. How many families do you know that live like this day after day after day? It’s crazy.

How many times do you eat out a week because you say you ‘don’t have time to make dinner?’ How many activities are your children involved in? Are they physical activities or sedentary? Are your children overweight?

As loving parents, we all want our children to succeed. However, I think that too many activities after school is detrimental to a stable ‘family life.’ When do you have time to just sit around and relax together? These are precious times when kids can just chill and talk about their day to you. These are times when you can just goof around together and really bond. They need this!

I feel so passionate about this because I witness these families just having no “down time” and the kids are suffering. Parents are buying processed foods or getting take out because they are too busy ‘running’ their kids to activity after activity. They feel they are doing the right thing but when you see that your child(ren) are overweight…it’s time to buy some healthy groceries, decrease the activities, and give these little people a proper meal.

Trust me, I am all for parents that are able to provide their child with an activity that he/she is truly passionate about. I am NOT SUPPORTIVE of parents that just enrol their children in activities because they feel ‘it’s the right thing to do.’ I totally am against parents that will use extra-curricular activities as an excuse to not cook dinner. If you think you are being a great parent because your son/daughter is in lots of activities, yet eating processed crap most of the time- you are truly doing more harm than good to him/her in the long run.

If they are not overweight now, they will be. Or the effects of the fatty food may not reveal itself in a physical way, but their physiological body is getting damaged. I also don’t think that a child should be in more than one activity at a time. It’s too much! They are in school all day. They are bombarded with so much stimuli…noise, visual aids, expectations, rules,…don’t you think that maybe he/she and yourself would all benefit from just hanging around the table and relaxing? How about eye contact? When you are behind the wheel all day, do you really even have any eye contact?

As you can see I feel very passionate about this. My children Shayne and Noelle love to play soccer in the summer. This is their extra curricular activity. This is it! It’s all they want actually. My son loves to play tag and hide n’ seek with his buddies in our neighbourhood! He would be devastated if I made him get in the car 3 nights/week to shuffle him off somewhere.

I do want to add that I also know people that have their children in lots of activities, and are out most nights, but still manage to make home cooked meals. All the power to you! I just don’t think it’s necessary…run around outside with them! Kick a ball! Throw a frisbee!

If, as a parent, you need to get yourself in shape to run and play with your kids…I can guarantee you will benefit from the Fit Chic Year of Workouts. Be a role model…and your children will follow by example. Let’s create a stable, bright future for our children. Please, let me know how you feel!

Cheers to health,

Angie

C.P.T.
B.Ed.