How to encourage physical activity

I have a dcg that will be 4 years old in January. I am concerned about her diet and interest in physical activity. She is a skinny little thing, but I can see her having health problems if she continues down the path she is on.

My concern: she chooses 9 times out of 10 to just sit and watch the other kids run and be active instead of participating herself. I have two other kids her age that love to run, climb, jump and it is great watching them having such fun and getting good exercise. But this dcg would rather just sit and watch (preferably on my lap if I let her). I'm always asking/telling her to go run with the others, but she almost always says no. I will flat out tell her that she cannot sit with me/hold my hand and to go play. It is not that she is shy or anything.

I know at home that she still gets pushed in her stroller when she goes out with her mom, which I never do with her. She gets lots of walking done with me. Her mom also told me that she would just sit and watch tv all day if she let her.

I am always trying to encourage her with how much fun being active is, and how healthy food makes us strong and fast. I have the parents provide lunch everyday and her lunch is always a jam sandwich, yogurt, apple sauce, fruit punch. I am wondering if the food she is eating is affecting her energy level. I don't know for sure what food she regularly eats at home, though I know mom has trouble getting her to eat. I force her to drink water every day, it takes her half an hour to drink a 1/4 cup of water.

So I think it is part of her personality to be this way, but I just keep thinking more and more about the growing obesity problem in this generation of young people and I want this little girl to grow up without those problems.

Thoughts? Ideas?

What about a sticker chart, or group reward kind of thing? An "I participated" board or something like that? Is it possible she can be motivated with praise, or perhaps a reward of some sort at the end of the week? Maybe if she gets five stickers for the week, she gets a reward of some sort.

I currently have a girl like that, but she is 15 months. She is a doll, adorable and she loves to be cuddled. However, I only give her her morning hug when she arrives and then tell her to go play. At the beginning she only wanted to be close to me (she is not whiny or anything, but she would just prefer to sit in my lap all day if she could instead of playing or moving). So, if she came to me I got up and move around heading where there were interesting things to play with and when she followed me I pretended to ignore her, after a while of walking behind me she got distracted and started playing by herself and moving around. She is now much more independent than when she arrived, about 3 months ago. Her mom is has an attachment parenting approach and she is being held almost at all times at home, but not here. A cuddle here and there I don't mind, but not all day and it also isn't healthy for kids that should be moving and learn to play independently too.

She can play independently very well when we are in the home, I don't really do anything to keep her busy and she happily does her own thing most of the time. It is when we are outside and it is time to sharpen those gross motor skills that she often holds back.

I would tell her to Go Play! Don't allow her to sit with you. I used to have 2 boys that were like that. The second we went outside and I would sit and watch the kids they would immediately be around me. I would just tell them to go play and that they can't sit with me. At the beginning they would go sit on the play structure or sit on the ground but eventually they would get up with the other kids and go play. Right now I have a 2 year old that would also like to sit with me outside. I do the same thing with her and she goes with the others.

You mention that they walk a lot with you. My dck, too. The little ones (15 to 16 mos) walk for about 20 to 30 min for field trips about 4 days per week. The older ones (2yo) about 45 to 60 min both ways. That is a good exercise too. All of the other kids move around a lot when outdoors in top of the walking, except this girl (at least I think she is having a good exercise by walking 20 to 30 min almost very day). She is less active than the others, but still much better than when she started. I guess it has to do with how in shape they are or the way of how they are getting in shape. If your 4 yo dcg is carried everywhere in the stroller and she is allowed to watch too much TV at home it seems she is not getting too exercise often outside daycare hours. IMO If parents aren't encouraging physical activity and healthy eating habits we as daycare providers can only offer opportunities to practice their gross motor skills and healthy meals during their time with us, but we cannot force them to be active and eat.

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Originally Posted by Artsand crafts

You mention that they walk a lot with you. My dck, too. The little ones (15 to 16 mos) walk for about 20 to 30 min for field trips about 4 days per week. The older ones (2yo) about 45 to 60 min both ways. That is a good exercise too. All of the other kids move around a lot when outdoors in top of the walking, except this girl (at least I think she is having a good exercise by walking 20 to 30 min almost very day). She is less active than the others, but still much better than when she started. I guess it has to do with how in shape they are or the way of how they are getting in shape. If your 4 yo dcg is carried everywhere in the stroller and she is allowed to watch too much TV at home it seems she is not getting too exercise often outside daycare hours. IMO If parents aren't encouraging physical activity and healthy eating habits we as daycare providers can only offer opportunities to practice their gross motor skills and healthy meals during their time with us, but we cannot force them to be active and eat.

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I agree with what you are saying. I've been thinking about it all day and I don't really think I can do much more than what I am. It is apparent the level of fitness between her and the other ones. I really put effort into making sure my own kids are active, watch limited TV and eat a variety of foods - therefore my daycare kids get the same thing (other than the food since I don't provide it). It is really hard to watch other people's kids raised differently - knowing that a 3 year old is regularly fed Lucky Charms and pop makes me feel sad. I guess I care too much, if that is a bad thing! :)

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Originally Posted by AmandaKDT

I have a dcg that will be 4 years old in January. I am concerned about her diet and interest in physical activity. She is a skinny little thing, but I can see her having health problems if she continues down the path she is on.

My concern: she chooses 9 times out of 10 to just sit and watch the other kids run and be active instead of participating herself. I have two other kids her age that love to run, climb, jump and it is great watching them having such fun and getting good exercise. But this dcg would rather just sit and watch (preferably on my lap if I let her). I'm always asking/telling her to go run with the others, but she almost always says no. I will flat out tell her that she cannot sit with me/hold my hand and to go play. It is not that she is shy or anything.

I know at home that she still gets pushed in her stroller when she goes out with her mom, which I never do with her. She gets lots of walking done with me. Her mom also told me that she would just sit and watch tv all day if she let her.

I am always trying to encourage her with how much fun being active is, and how healthy food makes us strong and fast. I have the parents provide lunch everyday and her lunch is always a jam sandwich, yogurt, apple sauce, fruit punch. I am wondering if the food she is eating is affecting her energy level. I don't know for sure what food she regularly eats at home, though I know mom has trouble getting her to eat. I force her to drink water every day, it takes her half an hour to drink a 1/4 cup of water.

So I think it is part of her personality to be this way, but I just keep thinking more and more about the growing obesity problem in this generation of young people and I want this little girl to grow up without those problems.

Thoughts? Ideas?

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Her lunch menu does not have enough protein, in fact, it's loaded with carbs and sugar! And yes low-protein affects the energy level.
High carbohydrate/sugar may give an energy boost (but only for a short time). We end up "crashing" down - what is normally referred to as having the "shake." I wouldn't be surprised if most times, this is what causes a child to have a "melt-down."

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Originally Posted by AmandaKDT

I have a dcg that will be 4 years old in January. I am concerned about her diet and interest in physical activity. She is a skinny little thing, but I can see her having health problems if she continues down the path she is on.

My concern: she chooses 9 times out of 10 to just sit and watch the other kids run and be active instead of participating herself. I have two other kids her age that love to run, climb, jump and it is great watching them having such fun and getting good exercise. But this dcg would rather just sit and watch (preferably on my lap if I let her). I'm always asking/telling her to go run with the others, but she almost always says no. I will flat out tell her that she cannot sit with me/hold my hand and to go play. It is not that she is shy or anything.

I know at home that she still gets pushed in her stroller when she goes out with her mom, which I never do with her. She gets lots of walking done with me. Her mom also told me that she would just sit and watch tv all day if she let her.

I am always trying to encourage her with how much fun being active is, and how healthy food makes us strong and fast. I have the parents provide lunch everyday and her lunch is always a jam sandwich, yogurt, apple sauce, fruit punch. I am wondering if the food she is eating is affecting her energy level. I don't know for sure what food she regularly eats at home, though I know mom has trouble getting her to eat. I force her to drink water every day, it takes her half an hour to drink a 1/4 cup of water.

So I think it is part of her personality to be this way, but I just keep thinking more and more about the growing obesity problem in this generation of young people and I want this little girl to grow up without those problems.

Thoughts? Ideas?

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Try initiating a game or physical activity - and participate in it. I find that kids have more fun and are more motivated when I do it too. We pretend to be animals (and imitate how they walk or move). I play monster with them and chase them around the room (with me crawling). Last year, my two year old and I pretended we've got an alligator in the basement (our designated play area), that the two couches that are set far apart are the safe islands. We never see that alligator but I make it so that we have to "swim" from one couch to another. This was her favorite game for the longest time - she would initiate it.
These days, my 10 months old crawler is usually the monster, or the alligator! He seems to understand the game! :)

I dance with the children. Older children love doing the tango dance with me as the partner (they take turns), or the dance where they get twirled around! I initiate babies into dancing by dancing to music as I carry them. After that I do my own push-ups while they play - they end up trying to imitate me. :) There are times when they aren't in the mood for this type of games but that's fine....I just make another thing up!

You'll most probably have to take her by the hand when you initiate a game/activity to get her going. Keep doing this and before you know it she'll get into it. I think she's just got to break out of that habit.

If you provide snack, perhaps you can give her less carbs but slip in more protein?

I brought up the topic of her not drinking very much water with her mom and it turns out it has been a struggle to get her to drink since birth, so I think they have resorted to offering her not so healthy things in the hope she will actually consume a decent amount of it. I'm glad I brought it up because it turns out the mom took her to the doctor a little while ago and the doctor told her to cut way back on the sugar. The dcg is very small for her age and the doctor is getting concerned about her development. She will likely go on supplements soon.

So I told the mom to send the foods that the doctor recommended and I will make sure she eats it - even if she sits there for an hour!

I already do all types of activities with them - yoga, games, dancing... But I can't force her body into doing natural active play with the other children. Perhaps if her nutritional problems get fixed she will have more energy and desire to run and jump more.

I get stumped for outside activities especially for the younger kiddos. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! :)

We put in a deck over the summer so that there is a flat place for the toddlers to walk as that was one of the big issues. What I find is I do physical activities in the house with the little ones with balls, tossing bean bags, they push trucks around the house, I have exercise balls I hold them on for bouncing, etc. When they go outside they head straight for the sandbox and just stand there playing. I always have to laugh when people talk about the need for outside time for physical activity - with the little ones it is strictly for the fresh air and the physical happens inside.

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Originally Posted by playfelt

I always have to laugh when people talk about the need for outside time for physical activity - with the little ones it is strictly for the fresh air and the physical happens inside.

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Not sure if this is directs at me, but a 4 year old definitely does lots of physical activity outside. Toddlers are for sure a different story, It wouldn't even cross my mind to worry about them being physically active outside.

Actually it was directed to daycaremom9 who was concerned about the younger kids. All of my gang is under age 3 and have another that won't even be able to walk starting in a month so that limits it even more as crawling is much easier on the carpet with no bulky clothes on.

Daycaremom, how old are your younger ones? I have 18 and 24 month olds and they get a lot of activity outside for their age. When it's a crazy day inside, I know they need some outside time to burn off extra energy. They love going up and down the slides, "driving" the cozy coupes, chasing the balls and just running around the yard. I don't really plan activities for outside because they all just do their own thing :) I also have two baby strollers outside and a lawn mower so they love pushing those around the yard. I have always had children who walked by 14 or so months though so for the most part all of my kids have been able to move around outside. Getting up and down the stairs was sometimes a headache though when they were first learning!! lol

I will sometimes take out the mini dinosaurs and hide them around the yard so they have to find them, they loved the car wash we did (summer activity though) and they always chase after the bubbles!! Pinterest is my go to site for new ideas!

I have 2 & 3 year olds. The boys tend to get more physical activity than the girls. The idea of hiding toys for the children to find is a good idea that I'll be trying.

My kids have been filling the sandpails with leaves and then dumping in my big bucket which I then put in the composter. So if nothing else they are walking. Some days I keep the sandbox closed which makes them more likely to use the slide, balls, etc. But if it is open then some go there and stay the whole hour till they are picked up moving to another side of the box if they move at all. Lots of bending over and reaching but not the same as running for sure.

I also find if I make myself "busy" doing something such as pulling weeds. I used one of those dandelion pullers you step on and pull them out. Works really well and we are seeing progress in that there are less in the play area now. I will also take my little snips and trim plants - anything to not be available as the entertainment since if I just stand there they expect me to lead the play.

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Originally Posted by daycaremom9

I have 2 & 3 year olds. The boys tend to get more physical activity than the girls. The idea of hiding toys for the children to find is a good idea that I'll be trying.

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Just make sure you count how many toys you hid so you know when they are all found!! I agree with you, typically my boy gets more physical activity as the girls just like to play in the play houses or swing on the tire swing. My 2 18 month olds actually run around the most.....but I think just because their attention span is smaller so they always run from toy to toy and area to area haha. In the winter we go for walks more but I put the 18 month olds in the stroller and the 2 year olds walk.