When we hear the word ‘Kids’, a majority of us envision a child on a playground or running on the lawn. Kids have a vast reserve of energy that needs to be expended in creative and productive ways to ensure a good sleep cycle, appetite and general health. Two of the most popular outlets to expend this are Martial arts and Dance. These activities owe their popularity to the fact that they require very basic facilities, have something exciting for the children every day and have a lot of variety on offer.
Practicing one of these develops the kinaesthetic awareness in children. They promote muscle development, good reflexes, balance, strength and co-ordination. These are skills that children will learn through sports too and these activities share a symbiotic relationship where one of them enhances the performance in the other.
Although the physical benefits are well known, we tend to overlook the importance of these activities in character development and mental health. Both of these activities are a quest for excellence through discipline, practice and tenacity. These will help your children to have a good routine, control over impulses and a good work ethic. The way in which effort translates to results is very tangible to the child and the happiness they get when they achieve something is incomparable. On the other hand, children also gain the ability to accept failure well and to work towards a goal.
These activities can also bring about a sense of belonging. Healthy competitions and rivalries will bring about better development, hone the competitive spirit and sportsmanship. How to function in a team and the importance of planning and execution is also evident in these
activities.
All in all, these are outlets that can bring tears just as quickly as they can bring smiles, give a taste of success or failure, experience pain to see gain and are transformative. As parents, weshould strive to find balance in these activities and aid in the child’s development!