General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Shameless kid brag.... Rss Feed  
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2013-08-13 11:17 AM
in reply to: Left Brain

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Subject: RE: Shameless kid brag....
LB...I am sure you get asked this a lot, but how did your two kids who are into tris get interested? Was it from watching dad? Was it influence from school or friends? I know you have said before that you have never pushed them & that they are the ones who had the desire, but I am curious what sparked it.

I have a 3 year old boy & 6 year old girl. The girl needs to get more active & she has even come with me to the track to do speed work one Sunday...well, she watched me do speed work! I'm just curious if their interest was emulation of what they saw or if it was, perhaps, the other way around for you.


2013-08-13 12:24 PM
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Subject: RE: Shameless kid brag....

Originally posted by Meathead LB...I am sure you get asked this a lot, but how did your two kids who are into tris get interested? Was it from watching dad? Was it influence from school or friends? I know you have said before that you have never pushed them & that they are the ones who had the desire, but I am curious what sparked it. I have a 3 year old boy & 6 year old girl. The girl needs to get more active & she has even come with me to the track to do speed work one Sunday...well, she watched me do speed work! I'm just curious if their interest was emulation of what they saw or if it was, perhaps, the other way around for you.

I do not want to set myself up as some kind of expert on how to get kids active.....I don't know squat about it.  But here's how it worked at my house.

When my kids were 3 and 5 I went with them to the park and played on the jungle gym with them.....alot.  We didn't sit at home, ever.  if I was there we were moving....and it was always something THEY wanted to do.  As they got older the activities changed and I bought them bikes and we rode around the park, and had pull up contests, and played.....and played...at everything, and raced each other at everything.  I also took them to the YMCA every time I went......every time.  I made a rule that they had to pick one activity per session.....I didn't care what it was.  Mostly they picked swimming....sometimes Tae kwon do, sometimes fencing, sometimes rock climbing.....who cares?

Four years ago I got back into triathlon......it took my son one race to basically say, "what about me?" He was just used to us doing things together.  So I picked a local race and that was that.  My daughter was the same.....just a natural progression of playing with dad.

I'm proud of their triathlon accomplishments.....but I'm proud of them as happy kids first. 

If you make me pick one thing I did I will say that I didn't allow them to sit in front of a TV.....and that requires that you don't either because you're with them.

 



Edited by Left Brain 2013-08-13 12:29 PM
2013-08-13 12:45 PM
in reply to: Meathead

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Subject: RE: Shameless kid brag....
Originally posted by Meathead


I have a 3 year old boy & 6 year old girl.


My kids are about your kids ages - 7yo boy and 4yo girl. They are both very active and race triathlons. I think it was similar to LB in that we brought them to our races and, when asked if they wanted to race, it was just natural. They have raced more this year than I have. The boy swims year round and both swim summer league. They both play soccer - which is a really easy way to get them active, assuming they enjoy it. Even though the boy is pretty competitive in local 8&U triathlons as a 7yo, he doesn't "train." He swims, we ride bikes and he runs whenever - mainly soccer. Maybe twice a month, we'll go on a short run around the neighborhood - but I see that more as time to talk and be alone. He also will play rec basketball over the winter and she takes gymnastics once a week during the school year.

I think swim lessons at a very young age are important - that's somewhat personal because our family is constantly on the water. If they like it, it can lead to competitive swimming which, if you are in a good, long-term development system, is a wonderful way for young kids to both have fun and learn that it takes work to get faster.

Most importantly, expose them to several sports and activities and figure out what they want to do. Take them to watch a kids triathlon and see if they might be interested. The ones in my area are put on by the same company the puts on most of the adult races and are tons of fun.

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