T Richa Ingle Deo
This is a Guest Blog by Lt Cdr (Retd.) Richa Ingle Deo, a Life Strategist Coach, who in her free time writes scripts for animated series like Chhota Bheem, Krishna Balram, Kumbh Karan. Her Blog http://runsutra.wordpress.com/chronicles her random ramblings on matters such as running, fitness, parenting, family and Living Life King Size!
What’s your Story?!
“Come on Lazy Bones, get up and exercise!”
“Why?”
“Because you should!”
“Why?”
“Because it’s good for you.”
“Why?”
“Because it will make you healthy.”
“Then why don’t you exercise?”
“Ah..hmm….Stop answering back and go and exercise!”
Does this parent-child conversation sound familiar? Is this conversation happening at your neighbour’s? Your cousin’s? Or your own house? Ever wonder what might motivate your child to go the heathy way? Well, read on.
Your child excels in debates, you pat yourself on your back, after all the child has taken after you. Your child excels in studies, your partner beams like a lighted christmas tree, after all the child has taken after him. But on the flip side, if the child is lazy and lethargic you both growl at each other, silently exchanging the blame glances. While we bask in the glory of our children’s success we don’t want to take the blame for their not so successful ventures.
Research has proven that childhood development owes itself to many influences, the primary being the parents. Children look up to their parents for examples. Both the parents play an equally pivotal role in influencing the child. A health conscious mom alone can’t bring a change and neither can an exercise loving father. Mother and father have to both work together in setting an example that they want their child to be.
We know it’s good for our child to exercise, we know it’s good for us to exercise but we have our own stories to tell.
“I am such a social Bird! I was way too busy partying late night, I can’t get up early to exercise yaar!”
Or
“You won’t understand I try so hard but I don’t lose weight.”
“Have you tried exercising?”
“Nopes”
Or
“I am way too fat to exercise”
Or even
“I KNOW I need to exercise but it’s just so boring yaar!”
I can almost imagine Sunny Deol raising his “Dhai Kilo Ka Haath” and saying, “ Kahani pe Kahani, Pe Kahini!”
Everybody has their story. A story that keeps them away from exercising. They work long hours but don’t work out, they eat but eat irregularly, they know the answer is exercising, but “Who has the time yaar?”
Richa, subtle persuasion, well-formulated! As parents we need to be an example in everything – no exceptions. Once we occupy the high ground of example, our children cannot fault us. Instead they will be persuaded to follow, climbing to that level – not just in exercising, but more importantly in being righteous. God bless.
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