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June 14, 2003 It's your son's 2nd birthday, you get him a Louisville Slugger, baseball and glove. Playing with him in the backyard, he wow's the neighborhood throwing the ball. Your daughter is turning four, she dances constantly, but when there are dancers on t.v. she watches intently then tries to dance like them. She's beautiful, and is sure to be the next Leslie Caron or J Lo. Either way, she has great talent and all she needs now is a little training and walla, she'll be winning star search in a few years! Woah, partner! Careful, your childs real future is at stake! Between the ages of 4 and 7 all children, both boys and girls are honing their major motor skills. Nothing else, that is all they can learn. Major motor skills! In practice, from four to seven, major motor skills are all they can learn. Yet we push, pull. coax or yell at the until the get to class. Then the parent begins to where thin when the child hits the screaming, crying, dramatic stage of not wanting to go to dance class or t-ball. You have just set yourself up for the big letdown. Three out of five children that start physical activities burn out before the hit the magic age of seven. The burn out is caused by the repetative nature and limited actual learning they can do. Remember, major motor skills are stuff like running, skipping, jumping. In other words, there like baby deer trying to get coordinated. The real shame is from the magic age of 7 to 12, these same kids will learn 80% of the skills they would use as a professional. Plus, while the repetative nature remains in warm-ups and basics, their ability to advance often becomes a challenge to the coach or instructor just to keep them advancing. In conclusion, take an hour a week to work on major motor skills at home. After all, your the one that knows their limits and strengths better than anyone else in the world. Start their physical learning subjects at age 6 or 7, you'll get real bang for your buck, and a child who will excell much greater in everything they do. ------------ About the author: Jeff D. Riley is a second generation Italian American who lives in Texas. Riley lived with his grandparents who taught the value of a loving family. A member of Actor's Equity since age 16, Riley grew up on stage. After a four year tour in the Navy, Riley co-founded a regional ballet company. Ballroom dancing and writing are his hobbies, his four children his loves. The original Mr. Mom, Jeff has been single parent for nearly 15 years. You can contact him at: Tango6000@hotmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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