Get Your Children Active

We all remember that tall tale our parents and grandparents told us: "You kids today have no idea! I used to walk to school every day, backwards, uphill and with no shoes on.” We might have believed it with our parents and grandparents, but our kids will never buy it from us. And their kids won’t buy it from them either.

About this time last year, Mayor Craig A. Moe spoke to the topic of childhood obesity in his Feb., 2010, Mayor’s Happenings column. 

Over the last 40 years, we’ve become a nation that cooks less and eats more. Based on the number of video games that fly off the shelves, as well as the time we log onto social networking sites, we’re also doing less physically. Since 1960, we’ve seen a 54 percent increase in obesity in elementary school children and a 39 percent increase in high school students.

Mayor Moe’s column on childhood obesity and how Laurel has taken steps to get our kids moving again was inspired by speech given by First Lady Michelle Obama. She pointed to our nation’s systematic removal of play from our children’s lives as a major contributing factor in the childhood obesity epidemic.  

Mayor Moe wrote that Laurel has taken a stand on putting physical activity and play back into the lives of our children. In 2009, Laurel received recognition as a Playful City USA community because of its expanded child-related community activities. Moe cited a Harris Interactive Study that found 60 percent of parents said they had no playground in their neighborhood. Moe said Laurel gained the Playful City USA status because it operates nine playgrounds, six of which were updated or renovated within the last five years. In addition there are 222 acres of open space to hike and play, swimming pools, drop-in teen centers and after school activities—all geared towards getting children up and moving.

Here are some ideas on what you can do to get your child active and burning off calories, and how local programs can help:

Make it Fun.  You’ve been complaining that you need to lose that extra 10 pounds, right? Kids respond to what they see you do much more than what you tell them to do. Why not make it a joint effort? It can be as organized as a gym membership for the family (one with a pool!) or as simple as setting up a mobile basketball device at your home or taking your tennis rackets down to the nearest school to hit a few balls around.

Get it Together. Plan something that gets the whole family together to tighten family bonds. And, each parent can spend time in a physical activity with a child for that one-on-one time children crave.

The Gardens Ice House (13800 Old Gunpowder Rd. 301-953-0100). Vary your routine in winter. The Gardens Ice House offers year-round hockey, figure, speedskating, curling, inline skating, ice dancing, basketball, and more.

The City of Laurel Department of Parks and Recreation offers youth certain non-league sports activities, including scheduled drop-in programs, at the community centers. 

• Robert J. DiPietro Community Center (7901 Cypress St., 301-497-0300). The Center holds drop-in hours daily for all ages, with programs geared toward the season and public needs. For example, on Mondays from 4:30-5:30 your teen can enjoy a game of basketball. For a current gym schedule, click here.
• Laurel Armory Anderson and Murphy Community Center (422 Montgomery St., 301-725-8088). For a current gym schedule, click here.

Plan for Weather Changes. It’s time to start signing up for spring sports programs.

• Laurel Little League Network (15832 Bradford Dr., 301-725-5850).301-725-5850.
  Maryland City Mustangs (301-725-7711).
  Laurel Boys and Girls Club (701 Montgomery St.,  301-953-9340). Sign up for 2011 spring soccer and flag football are being held now. If your child’s not interested, how about some martial arts training—everything from classic Kung Fu to Muai Thai kickboxing.
• Laurel Parks and Recreation (301-725-7800). For information on various parks as well as the Laurel Pool, check out this link. 
• Mountain Club of Maryland (410-377-MCOM). For information on the club see this link. For an upcoming schedule of organized hikes to fit any skill  level, see the website.

Throw in Some Fur. Pets are not meant to entertain your child or take over the role of parenting, but if you’ve been thinking about adding a dog to your home, it may be just the thing to keep your child active. According to Laurel’s Companion Animal Rescue Alliance (3351 Corridor Market Pl.), when children care for a pet dog, it lowers their risk of obesity. 

With all of the do’s here, there’s one don’t: Don’t be a weekend warrior. Incorporate some sort of physical activity into your child’s life during the week. Once they've developed the habit, it will be easier to encourage a life-long love of physical activity.