Related Articles
Sticker Hearts - Preschool Card Game
Improve fine motor fitness for preschoolers with this simple game.
Sand Box Tools for Fine Motor Skill Development
Get your sand box ready for summer activity with toys that promote fine motor development for preschoolers.
Mixing Colors - Fine Motor Skill Science Activity
Preschoolers use fun science tools from around the house to explore science concepts and develop fine motor skills.
Overprotective Parents May Discourage Preschool Fitness
by Kelly Pfeiffer
Are you overly concerned that your child will get hurt during normal preschool fitness activities such as running, jumping and climbing? Do you hear yourself saying, "Be careful" to your preschooler on a daily basis? Do you blame yourself if your child gets a scraped knee or elbow? If so, you may be an overprotective parent and you may be limiting or discouraging the fitness level of your preschooler. Many well intentioned parents try to prevent any and all injuries to preschoolers. Overprotection can discourage fitness attitudes and fitness activities for preschoolers. Notice the subtle messages you send to preschoolers and decide if you are being an overprotective parent.
How Overprotection Can Discourage Preschool Fitness
When preschoolers often hear "Be Careful", "Watch out" or similar statements from adults, what decisions might preschoolers make about physical activity? Many factors affect physical activity levels for preschoolers. Decisions about physical safety is an emotional factor that determines how preschoolers view fitness activities. Preschoolers who are encouraged to try new things at their own comfort level will hopefully develop a balanced attitude about engaging in new and more difficult physical activities. However if a preschooler receives messages that getting hurt is bad and should always be avoided, the preschooler may often choose to avoid getting hurt instead of taking healthy risks that develop physical skills and confidence.
Between the ages of 3 and 6 years old, preschoolers are in the social development stage that Erikson calls, "Initiative versus Guilt". The social environment surrounding preschoolers can either support the healthy development of initiative or discourage initiative and instead support the development of guilt. When a preschooler hears frequent cautions from adults, preschoolers may develop more guilt than initiative. Healthy preschoolers do take gradual risks and usually increase risks in small steps as their ability level and confidence increases.
STAY CALM WHEN INJURIES HAPPEN: Especially when a preschooler has a small injury such as a scraped knee or bumped elbow, parents can send assuring messages to preschoolers by staying calm. Offer hugs and band-aids but keep emotional drama to a minimum.
TALK TO YOURSELF: Coach yourself either in your head or by whispering to yourself. Imagine what you might want a friend to say to you.
EXAMPLES:
"I'm a good parent even if my child gets hurt sometimes."
"It's okay if my child gets a few bumps and bruises."
"My child needs me to stay calm."
EXAMPLES:
"Hold on to the handrail to keep your balance on the stairs."
"Stop climbing at the big limb so that you can get back down safely."
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT PRESCHOOLERS TO DO: Without realizing it, adults often focus on what they want preschoolers NOT to do instead of what they want preschoolers to do. Frame your language so that you convey the message of safe actions.
EXAMPLES:
Instead of "Don't fall on the stairs", try "Hold the handrail when you go up the stairs."
Instead of "Don't climb too high", try "Only climb to the big limb there. When your hand can touch that big limb, stop climbing up."
ASK "WHAT" AND "HOW" QUESTIONS: When preschoolers answer safety questions out loud, their brains build new pathways that help preschoolers remember safety information.
EXAMPLES:
"What would help you keep your balance while you walk on the stairs?"
"Which tree limb is the one where you need to stop climbing?"
DESCRIBE SAFETY IN TERMS OF YOUR OWN ACTIONS: Preschoolers learn from adult actions. Describe those safety actions to preschoolers. Preschoolers often stop listening to adults when adults nag and remind preschoolers about safety. But preschoolers might be more interested in safety when adults describe their own safety actions.
EXAMPLES:
"I hold on to the hand rail to keep my balance on the stairs."
"Before I climb things, I decide how high I will climb before I start climbing."
REDIRECT PRESCHOOLERS TO APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES: When preschoolers want to try activities that are not safe or activities that they are not physically ready to try, redirect preschoolers to a similar activity that is safe or is more appropriate for a preschooler's ability level.
Like this article? Get more like it in your inbox. Subscribe today to our free weekly newsletter.
Are you overly concerned that your child will get hurt during normal preschool fitness activities such as running, jumping and climbing? Do you hear yourself saying, "Be careful" to your preschooler on a daily basis? Do you blame yourself if your child gets a scraped knee or elbow? If so, you may be an overprotective parent and you may be limiting or discouraging the fitness level of your preschooler. Many well intentioned parents try to prevent any and all injuries to preschoolers. Overprotection can discourage fitness attitudes and fitness activities for preschoolers. Notice the subtle messages you send to preschoolers and decide if you are being an overprotective parent.How Overprotection Can Discourage Preschool Fitness
How Preschool Brain Development Affects Fitness Attitudes
Between the ages of 3 and 6 years old, preschoolers are in the social development stage that Erikson calls, "Initiative versus Guilt". The social environment surrounding preschoolers can either support the healthy development of initiative or discourage initiative and instead support the development of guilt. When a preschooler hears frequent cautions from adults, preschoolers may develop more guilt than initiative. Healthy preschoolers do take gradual risks and usually increase risks in small steps as their ability level and confidence increases.Parent Actions to Support Healthy Risk Taking
STOP TALKING: When preschoolers take risks that may result in minor injuries, simply keep your mouth closed at times. Allow preschoolers to begin making some judgments and decisions for themselves. Preschoolers learn valuable cause and effect lessons through personal experience.STAY CALM WHEN INJURIES HAPPEN: Especially when a preschooler has a small injury such as a scraped knee or bumped elbow, parents can send assuring messages to preschoolers by staying calm. Offer hugs and band-aids but keep emotional drama to a minimum.
TALK TO YOURSELF: Coach yourself either in your head or by whispering to yourself. Imagine what you might want a friend to say to you.
EXAMPLES:
"I'm a good parent even if my child gets hurt sometimes."
"It's okay if my child gets a few bumps and bruises."
"My child needs me to stay calm."
Parent Language to Support Healthy Risky Taking
DESCRIBE CAUSE AND EFFECT: "Be careful" and "Watch out" are general and don't help children learn what careful actions to take. Instead use simple, short language that describes cause and effect to preschoolers.EXAMPLES:
"Hold on to the handrail to keep your balance on the stairs."
"Stop climbing at the big limb so that you can get back down safely."
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT PRESCHOOLERS TO DO: Without realizing it, adults often focus on what they want preschoolers NOT to do instead of what they want preschoolers to do. Frame your language so that you convey the message of safe actions.
EXAMPLES:
Instead of "Don't fall on the stairs", try "Hold the handrail when you go up the stairs."
Instead of "Don't climb too high", try "Only climb to the big limb there. When your hand can touch that big limb, stop climbing up."
ASK "WHAT" AND "HOW" QUESTIONS: When preschoolers answer safety questions out loud, their brains build new pathways that help preschoolers remember safety information.
EXAMPLES:
"What would help you keep your balance while you walk on the stairs?"
"Which tree limb is the one where you need to stop climbing?"
DESCRIBE SAFETY IN TERMS OF YOUR OWN ACTIONS: Preschoolers learn from adult actions. Describe those safety actions to preschoolers. Preschoolers often stop listening to adults when adults nag and remind preschoolers about safety. But preschoolers might be more interested in safety when adults describe their own safety actions.
EXAMPLES:
"I hold on to the hand rail to keep my balance on the stairs."
"Before I climb things, I decide how high I will climb before I start climbing."
Preschool Fitness Safety Notes
NEVER SUBSTITUTE SOMEONE ELSE'S JUDGMENT FOR YOUR OWN JUDGMENT: If you feel an activity is unsafe for your preschooler, be firm as you set a safety limit for your child. The support of healthy development does not mean that parents allow preschoolers to engage in any and all fitness activities.REDIRECT PRESCHOOLERS TO APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES: When preschoolers want to try activities that are not safe or activities that they are not physically ready to try, redirect preschoolers to a similar activity that is safe or is more appropriate for a preschooler's ability level.
Like this article? Get more like it in your inbox. Subscribe today to our free weekly newsletter.
