The realization of sports, cultural and artistic activities is a source of pleasure, of healthy socialization and learning, increase self-esteem if they are carried out without sickly competitiveness, promote the ability to know oneself and are, in short, one of the things Good life. The key to carrying out these activities is self-motivation..
Parents, many times, we wish motivate our children to develop hobbies of this type but we do not know well how to achieve it. The key is the child's personal motivation. They already spend many hours in school and any activity outside of it should be pleasant and chosen by them, whenever possible. In the extracurricular format, with the support of specialists who interact with the whole family or with their parents, choosing the right activity is important.
Our passions are contagious
We spread our passions to children: reading, music, sports or science. Keeping them up to date with our dreams, our hobbies and activities, making them partakers of them, motivates them and puts the seed so that they learn to love them too.
I adore classical music, the study of History, Mythology and Anthropology. I like classic cinema, science fiction and theater. Obviously I like to write and transmit my knowledge. I love teaching and creative learning. My son has grown up in that environment and has been infected with my passions. Even riding and swimming have become his favorite sports. Being by my side, watching me read and enjoy these activities, I think he has had a great role in fostering those hobbies in him.
Never push to be like us
However, our passions do not have to be the same as those of our children. Our example and our passion is contagious, but that is very different from that we press to follow our steps or get what we have not achieved.
If a father loves football, cycling or painting, or wishes he could play an instrument or speak French, that does not mean that his children will like the same and do not deserve to be pressured to do so.
Example and pleasure are motivating. The obligation and the pressure, no. So let them follow us if they want, but never putting excessive emphasis on it, to allow them to discover their own passions and decide for themselves what sports or creative activities they want to learn and practice.
Motivate by example
Of course, and without losing perspective, the that parents practice cultural or sports activities has a motivating effect for the child. If his parents do not open a book, the child may like to read, but he will do it harder than the one who lives in a house where reading is a regular habit. It also happens with those who perform artistic activities such as music, singing, dance or painting regularly, or go to concerts or the theater.
Children need to move and sports practice have positive effects on them. But sport is optional in an organized way, nobody can force you to like to practice it, compete or see it as a spectator.
A good idea is strengthen your self-esteem and confidence. If when we talk about our passions and invite them to participate in them, we reiterate that they can choose freely and that we will appreciate them the same if they do not like the same things. Do not miss the opportunity to tell him. Being sure that your parents love and respect you even if they don't think or are like them is one of the greatest gifts that can be given to a child.
Help you choose your activity
There are so many things to do ... how can a young child know which sport or activity he prefers if he does not know them?
Starting from the importance of the environment and the family, open the possibilities is always positive. If we take our son to see sports competitions, concerts, exhibitions and we approach him with the nearby academies where they offer classes, we will be offering him a wide range of possibilities.
Nothing happens if you leave it
I know that buying a racket, a karate suit or an instrument is expensive. And it can be frustrating that, shortly after starting the activity the boy tells us he doesn't want to continue. We must convey that nothing happens if you leave the previously chosen activity.
I think it is a mistake to blame him, tell him that you have to commit and not leave things halfway and much more, force him to go even if he tells us he does not like the activity.
The children they have the right to make mistakes and change their minds. They are learning and precisely taking them to these types of activities for the first time is an opportunity, first and foremost, to learn about themselves and their ability to choose what they like and what they don't. Therefore, if the child tells us that he does not want to continue with an activity for whatever reason (he does not like it, he gets tired, he is bored or the instructor is unfriendly), he must not be forced, either directly or indirectly, to continue with the practice.
If we let you go wrong you will learn from your mistakes. If we let you choose, you will learn to do so responsibly. If we allow him to express himself freely, we will foster his confidence in us and in themselves. That precisely reinforces the initial idea: self-motivation is the key to doing activities, and self-motivation is free.
