What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of the benefits of playing sports? Most likely it would be being physically fit, right?  Of course this is true!

I’m sure you’d agree that being active and playing sports is very healthy for our kids bodies.  Also, if children start playing sports at an early age they’ll have stronger bones and muscles as they get older, which is important for as they get older.

So, not only does your child get a full-body workout,  they also develop a good habit that’s likely to last a lifetime.

Exercise for our child is so important and sure beats sitting in front of a TV or playing video games all day while eating a bunch of snacks!

And to make it even better….

There are MANY other benefits of playing sports!

Being a good sport, win or lose

Remember when your child was younger and you were all excited when he/she was finally old enough to play board games? (Or is that just me?!)  So you rush to get out a game and you start playing with your child only to have tantrums or upset ruin the whole game!  Yes, your child is “off the wall” upset because YOU are winning! Even if you’re in the middle of the game and it looks to him/her as if you MIGHT win, you would think it was the end of the world by their reaction!

This went on with my grandson Mario until he was 8 (he’s 8 1/2 now).  I bought tons of board and card games over the years and I was so disappointed that we couldn’t seem to ever get through a game….

So, Mario started playing on his first basketball team when he was 7 and he was so upset whenever his team lost. He played again when he was 8, and STILL got very upset when his team lost.

Then he started playing baseball. In the beginning it was the same old thing when his team didn’t win, but at some point during the baseball season, he suddenly “got it”.

You know, the part where it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. He even started complimenting players from the other teams on their game!

This was a HUGE turning point for him!

Mario’s a very good player, he is a “natural” at sports (nope, he does not take after me, I’m quite clutzy!), and I’m thrilled that now he knows it’s okay to get out there and try your best, win or lose.

And YES, I’m beyond excited that now we finally can play games together at home and have FUN! 

Emotional Benefits

Even our little ones can feel anxious or depressed at times.  Learning new skills and putting their physical energy into sports can help so much with keeping any child’s anxiety and depression under control.

Think about it, when you’re busy learning and getting a work out your mind is occupied AND you’re using up physical energy which stimulates the “feel good” center of your brain.

Same thing goes for kids!

So I say…let ’em go crazy and get that energy going!

Social Benefits

Playing sports gives your child a chance to learn how to work with others.

Your child will belong to a team that has to work together toward achieving a goal (no pun intended!). Therefore, of course, your child will learn teamwork!

By being a part of a team your child also learns cooperation (yes, we ALL want our children to learn that one!), and leadership skills.  

Participating in sports also teaches children how to be patient and that they must take turns. (I love this because then us parents get help from coaches with teaching our kids patience!)

All GREAT things we all want our child to know and learn!

Knowledge

My grandson LOVES sports! He is actually a little “sports fanatic” (apparently a goal of his!). He’s constantly either watching Sports Center on TV or outside playing with a baseball, football or basketball.  Not to mention swimming, riding his bike and many other “sporty” kinds of things!

Mario will ask his coach a million questions, and practice on his own time.  He will actually practice with anyone he can find at any given time.  He wants to know it ALL!

It’s amazing to me that he can actually have an intelligent conversation with adults about the teams and players of all of these sports.

Make new friends

Playing sports is a great way for your child to make new friends. What’s better than having good friends who have the same interest as you?  These friendships could also help your child develop more interests in other areas such as art, music, reading, etc…

I’ve also found from my own experience, especially with baseball, that I’ve also made new friends.  There were lots of 2 hour practices and then of course the games, so you spend lots of time with the other parents.  I really loved it, baseball was a ton of fun for me too!

What if my child isn’t into sports?

Of course every child is different and there are many who aren’t interested in sports. Or maybe your child prefers individual type sports such as swimming, track, ballet etc…  Maybe your child is a great chess player, or debater.  Any hobby or passion your child is interested in is always wonderful! 

But it is definitely beneficial to your child’s health to include physical activity every day in some way, shape or form.

I think it’s awesome that there are kids out there who develop a passion for sports and want to learn all there is to learn.  Actually their passion could be for just about anything! (legal and moral of course!)

Our passions define us as we grow, and a thirst for knowledge about the good things in life that are important to us is such a wonderful benefit!

Can you think of more benefits our kids receive playing sports?  Please share your thoughts with us!

Lori

I know, I know, as much as none of us WANT to admit that we are getting older, the truth is we ARE.  Even though in our minds we still feel so young, our bodies are NOT so young anymore and we tend to develop some health issues as we get older.  Also, there are unexpected health problems that can pop up at any time (always such a pleasure!).  Of course, both existing and unexpected health issues can happen to anyone at anytime and at any age, but us “parenting” grandparents are more likely be dealing with these issues on an everyday basis.  Plus we are raising a child or children again….

Existing Health Issues 

If you’re like me, then you probably find that your existing health issues are a bit easier to handle than the unexpected “SURPRISE, I GOTCHA!” ones.

Maybe you have high blood pressure like me, rheumatoid arthritis like my little granddaughter’s other grandmom (yes, I am full of surprises here! My granddaughter will be introduced on my site soon!) , a heart problem, or one of many other health problems.

Since you are used to living with your very own unique health issues every day they come to be a part of your life that you just accept.  Sure, it can be very difficult at times to function with some of these problems, especially while raising a granchild, but for the most part we can figure out ways to work around these limitations.  In my case I take blood pressure medication every day (not hard at all, I am lucky!).

Then one day along comes an UNEXPECTED health issue….

Coping with Unexpected Health Issues 

These unexpected little surprises in the health department come at the most inconvenient times (as if they are EVER convenient!).  Fortunately there ARE ways to cope.

So, let’s say you find out you need to have surgery.  Not a fun thing to have to go through, but if you have a choice of dates try hard not to pick the soonest.  Give yourself some time to get it all together at home, very important, this will make your life after surgery so much easier.

Here’s what I did prior to my very recent surgery:

• Organize things the best you can (paperwork, bills, any special items you will need, any help you will need with your grandchild(ren) such as getting to school, sleepovers with friends, etc.)  Also figure out who is willing to help you with meals and other things as needed.
• Discuss with your grandchild(ren) that you will need their help, that they will need to pick up after themselves, also rules for playing outside, having friends over or not, and anything else that will affect their lives while you’re recovering.  Kids could also help with doing dishes, taking out trash, small cleaning chores, and also by providing their awesome company! This of course is age appropriate, my grandson is 8 so that’s what I did.  There’s no need to go into all the details with them, especially if they are young, but you will find that they love you and they WANT to help.
• Clean the house, preferably the day before your procedure.  This way it will be done when you get home and you won’t have to worry about it.  This also includes laundry and changing the sheets. Everything! (I am one of those people who when I am told I am not allowed to do something it suddenly becomes so important that I get it done.  So this one helped me a lot! Please note though that this is also exhausting!)
• Food Shopping should be done the day before also.  When shopping remember that frozen food is your friend!  You could also make a few meals in a crockpot and freeze for a healthier option.  Make things as easy as possible for yourself while you heal.  Also don’t forget to get the kids some special treats (aka bribes, just kidding – maybe!)
• Set up everything you will need so it will be right near you, that way you will have what you need by your side and can rest and heal.  I plugged in all chargers I would need into a power strip.  You know, for cell phone, blue-tooth headseat, tablet, etc. I also put a coaster on my nightstand and made sure the tv remotes were there.

As far as any kind of accident that happens suddenly, such as when I broke my ankle in two places after cleaning the hardwood floors (my grandson was 5 at the time)…..

The best thing to do is just go with the flow.  Forget the mess, it will be there when you recover. And always, always remember that your grandchild(ren), big or small, WANT you to be okay and WANT to help!  They will amaze you with their love and helpfulness!

If you have any additional suggestions for coping with health issues please comment.

As always I would love to hear from you!

Lori