Keeping your children active and healthy is more relevant than ever in today’s world, where children regularly play games on tablets for hours. Are you one of those concerned parents who need tips? You are not alone. So, what could be done to help our children become more active?
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Parents often underestimate how much their behaviour impacts their kids. From food choices to leading an active lifestyle, these daily decisions help mould kids as they grow up. A parent’s influence is very important in the development of their children’s physical activity (PA) behaviours.
Children develop positive habits and attitudes toward being active from a young age, with parents as their socialisation agents (Ha et al., 2019). By observing and imitating their parents’ behaviours, kids naturally and subconsciously absorb cues about the value of staying active. When parents model regular physical activity, they not only set a powerful example, but also create a family environment that sets a basis for a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. Parents’ attitudes and actions form the foundation for children to develop their relationship with exercise, creating healthy habits that last (Ha et al., 2019; Crumbley et al., 2020).
Their involvement in a child’s PA goes beyond just setting an example; it also includes providing support, encouragement and praise. Support can look like buying equipment, paying fees, and driving your kids to and from activities (Schoeppe et al., 2016). Both role modeling and active support are equally important in encouraging a child’s long-term engagement in staying active (Zecevic et al., 2010).
It’s been shown that children are more likely to be physically active when one or more parents lead a physically active lifestyle. Getting active together is a great way for parents and children to boost their activity levels. By participating in joint exercises, both parents and kids benefit, developing a healthier, more active lifestyle for the entire family (Ha et al., 2019).
Parents are privileged to have control of their children’s daily schedules and play an important role in making sure exercise is prioritised. It’s a parent’s duty to provide their kids with enjoyable and developmentally appropriate opportunities that are the right mix of intensity and duration (Zecevic et al., 2010; Burns et al., 2019; Crumbley et al., 2020).
Fundamental motor skills and sport-specific skills like throwing, kicking, and catching are not innately learned like other gross motor skills such as crawling and walking. These more advanced skills need some adult guidance and enough practice to build skills, which can encourage lifelong engagement in PA (Crumbley et al., 2020).
Children learn new skills in the best way when they feel safe, supported, and confident in their abilities. A parent’s approach to learning plays a key role in boosting these feelings of achievement and success, directly influencing a child’s self-perceived competence. It’s recommended that parents take on a supportive parenting style whereby children’s feelings and perspectives are considered, and they are provided with the opportunity to make meaningful choices (Ha et al., 2019).
Parent-child activity should be focused on developing skills and not on winning (Crumbley et al., 2020). Kids are naturally motivated to learn and a self-driven approach, where children guide their own learning, could be the best way to develop a lifelong love of it. The emphasis should be placed on the effort children put into learning, rather than their ability. This approach leads to kids having a higher perception of competence which plays a big role in shaping achievement motivation. When little ones have a low sense of their abilities, they are likely to lose interest and may become less interested in future opportunities and activities (Rudisill & Johnson, 2018).
The more parents value an active and healthy lifestyle, whatever that might look like for them, the higher the chance of their kids mimicking their values. Parents undoubtedly have a significant impact when it comes to motivating their children, but the type and level of their involvement are always important factors to consider (Gao et al., 2024).
How about a walk with your kid in the afternoons after school? Or maybe it’s time to sign up to a gym together? Join a Virgin Active gym near you.
Written by Eileen Africa
References
Burns, R., Bai, Y., Fu, Y., Pfledderer, D. & Brusseau, T. (2019) Parent Engagement and Support, Physical Activity and Academic Performance (PESPAAP): A Proposed Theoretical Model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16(4698) pg.1-14.
Crumbley, C., Ledoux, T. & Johnston, C. (2020) Physical Activity During Early Childhood: The Importance of Parental Modeling. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 14(1) pg.32-35.
Gao, Z., Chee, C., Wazir, M., Wang, J., Zheng, X. & Wang, T. (2024) The role of parents in the motivation of young athletes: a systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology. 14(1291711) pg.1-20.
Ha, A., Ng, J., Lonsdale, C., Lubans, D. & Ng, F. (2019) Promoting physical activity in children through family-based intervention: protocol of the “Active 1 + FUN” randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health. 19(218) pg.1-12.
Rudisill, M. & Johnson, J. (2018) Mastery Motivational Climates in Early Childhood Physical Education: What Have We Learned over the Years? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 89(6) pg.26-32.
Schoeppe, S., Vandelanotte, C., Bere, E., Lien, N., Verloigne, M., Kovacs, E., Manios, Y., Bjelland, M., Vik, F. & Lippevelde, W. (2026) The influence of parental modelling on children’s physical activity and screen time: Does it differ by gender? European Journal of Public Health. 23(1) pg.152-157.
Zecevic, C., Tremblay, L., Lovsin, T. & Michel, L. (2010) Parental Influence on Young Children’s Physical Activity. International Journal of Pediatrics. pg.1-9.