Two-thirds of children who participate in extracurricular activities are expected to attain at least a bachelor’s degree, whereas only half of children that do not participate do (National Center for Education Statistics, 1995). Childhood is a very important time in our lives, a time when we develop many vital skills that follow us into adulthood. Some people laugh or scoff at us parents that keep our children to busy schedules. Those same people would also argue that our children should be allowed to have a childhood, to not be so tightly scheduled in their daily lives. Before jumping on that bandwagon, I would suggest doing a little research. Participating in after-school activities has shown to benefit children in many ways. Children should …show more content…
They teach her self-control, patience, and how to work with the other girls in her class. Her autism makes this a very tough thing to do. Instead of hiding from others and lingering in silence, she is now confident enough to talk to people and interact with groups and as a result, she has been doing better in school. My oldest and her classmates work together and instead of criticizing for what she cannot do, they form a circle and help her reach her goal. Once softball season starts, like in the past, she will work as part of a team, to try to win games leading up to the championship. They have to be synchronized, each one doing their part. I witness teamwork while watching my son’s games, which full of teamwork, they each have their parts and together set plays in motion to hopefully win the game. When they form a synergy if you will, they are flexible and respond to changes easier. Working well with others is a crucial skill for adulthood. I know that while working, I had to constantly work with other people, even if I did not like them, which in general, it made the job easier and more fun, especially when there is a common …show more content…
Twenty-two point six percent do not participate in physical activity during their free time. (National Centers for Disease Control, 2003) In the past thirty years, the percentage of overweight children has more than doubled in the U.S. The number of overweight teenagers has almost tripled. (National Center for Health Statistics, 2004) A study of children from three different elementary school, participating in after-school programs found that the children participating in activities outside of school were less likely to be overweight at the follow-up and were better accepted by their classmates. (Applied Developmental Science, 2005) My daughter is able to remain lean because she runs and lifts weights daily. She has not gone up in size since she started playing softball a couple years ago, she has only grown in height. My son did not play baseball last year, so we were not as busy during the normal baseball season and as a result of the extra, unused time, he put on a little weight. When he began football this last season, I noticed him struggling to keep up with the team while running laps and was slower than the year before, he even went up a pant size. I also noticed my daughter Molly getting a tummy over the summer and gaining a pant size, going from a six to an eight. Now that she has been back in dance
Related to this threat, the chance of developing serious health conditions exists; these include orthopedic complications, hypertension, heart disease, and type two diabetes among others . An associated behavior linked to overweight and obesity in children is a lack of physical activity. Participation in physical activity as a child is important because it often leads to an active adult lifestyle. Physical activity may have beneficial effects on not just body weight, but overall health. Ultimately, if overweight and obese children grow into overweight and obese adults, they are at risk for a shortened life due to this disease and/or related ailments. Understanding risk factors and potential interventions for childhood overweight and obesity serves as a start to address...
Fewer and fewer children are playing outside regularly, choosing instead to be inside on the computer, in front of the television, and playing video games. Many children do not get enough physical activity in their daily routine. Many schools physical education programs cut back on the time actually spent doing vigorous activities. "One study showed that gym classes offered third-graders just twenty-five minutes of vigorous activity each week" ("Overweight and obesity,"2009). Guidelines show that children over two years old should at least get sixty minutes of vigorous activity a day ("Overweight and obesity,"2009). The average family is busier today than ever, which causes parents to rush meals and not take the time to plan nutritious hom...
Today, it is no secret that America is overweight. Although we still remain the land of the free, we are looked at by the rest of the world as “the fat country”. This is a label that we are not proud of and each day more and more people are becoming aware of the new epidemic called Obesity. In the article “Childhood Obesity in New York City Elementary School Students”, the author Lorna E. Thorpe discusses the numbers and statistics of how many kids are really overweight. “ Findings from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that in 1999-2000, the prevalence of obesity among children aged six through eleven years was 15 percent” (Thorpe et al. 2004). Previous surveys show that in 1960 the obesity rate was five percent, and in eleven percent in 1988-1994. From looking at the information in the surveys you can easily see that the obesity rates are climbing rapidly. With obesity, come many dangerous side effects, both short term and long term. Short term side effects of obesity are “adverse effects on growth, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose metabolism” (Thorpe et al. 2004). Long term effects consist of “greater risk of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gall bladder disease, and osteoarthritis” (Thorpe et al. 2004). Along with physical effects of obesity, a child will also experience many physiological effects also. “Negative self-image, decreased self-esteem, eating disorders, and lower health-related quality of life” (Thorpe et al. 2004) are all examples of the physiological side effects. These can have a severe impact on a child’s outlook on life as he or she gets older. Although these side effects are prevalent to childhood obesity, no child should have to go through the...
Over the years we have been fighting with the issue of obesity among children in the United States. Nearly one in three kids and adolescents are overweight or obese in the United States. Obesity in children has more than tripled from 1971 to 2011and is the number one cause for concern amongst parents in the United States. It is important to prevent obesity during childhood because habits that are formed during youth usually carry on into adulthood. Being obese describes children with a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for their age and gender. An overweight child would be described as having a body mass index at or above the 85th percentile but below the 95th percentile. Children
members of the government should help increase funding for afterschool programs. Students need after school activities. They are helpful to children developing. After school activities are beneficial to students' achievements because they can help children gain skills to do better academically, provides alternatives for getting into bad things, and gives structured time to work on social skills with peers.
This is a picture of a little boy who obviously looks viciously beaten up. The expression on his face makes it seems as if he is used to the pain, almost numb to it. I get the feeling that he has never seen happiness for as long as he can remember. The amount of damage on to his face, body, and clothes show that the child has seen difficult times. The “family” of the child, if he has one, probably can’t afford clothes and the child's gesture, with his hand to his chest, makes me feel as if he still holding on to his hopes to push him through the hard times in his life. His eyes tell me that he is crying for help.
Obese children are suffering every day emotionally, physically, and mentally. Bullies in school and outside of school play a big role in the low self esteem levels of children in America with Obesity. Children do not really have a choice to be obese or not in some cases. Some people just develop this problem from heredity. This is why it is very important for parents to stay active, keep their children on a healthy diet, and make sure they are setting good examples for their children. Many adults don’t realize how much they are hurting their children by not simply making them go outside and be active. Being active is very important in child development. There has been a dramatic drop in the physical activity of children in America. This is caused by many new factors that kids in the past didn’t have. These factors include the rise in new technology, fast food industry, and just more things to take kids minds off of going outside. Another area where kids are struggling in, is the overeating problem that many people have seemed to develop. Americans are consuming way more than the amount of food that should be taken into the body on a daily basis.
My parents are from Haiti, a small island in the Caribbean with a fascinating history. They where born in the late 50’s and early 60’s in a town named Cap Haitian, which is located on the north side of the country, it is known for it’s kind, and romantic population. Which is mostly due because of the French colonial influence on the nation. I don’t know too much about sex in the lifestyle of the Haitian society during the 50’s and 60’s, but I know they where very conservative, and sex at that time was something very taboo, that not many people talked about. In Haiti at the time the men where encourage to be very gallant and romantic to women. And marriage was seen as very special and beautiful thing.
Physical education for children is also very important in the development of a healthy body. In a report by the Surgeon General in 2001, it says that “Schools are identified as a key setting for public health strategies to prevent and decrease the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Most children spend a large portion of time in school. Schools provide many opportunities to engage children in healthy eating and physical activity and to reinforce healthy diet and physical activity messages.” It’s been reported by the Grocery Manufacturers of America that physical activity and good nutrition can prevent high blood pressure, increase muscle strength, and reduce the risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes and osteoporosis. During this early period in their lives, children can develop poor eating habits that make physical play difficult to participate in, eventually steering children away from joining in physical activity.
I was born in the testicle along with millions of other sperm. We each have one goal to create a human child. There is one problem. To create a human child we need an egg. An egg is found in a female human. I am in male human who calls himself Mark. Mark is 31 year old male who has been married a female human named Faith for awhile now. I am hoping that they will want to have a child soon.
Imagine your child being bullied in school because they were obese. They become more lazy with school work and have poor morals on health to pass down to their children. Obesity has reached an epidemic high in the U.S. I believe that children should participate in at least 20 minutes of a “workout” at school while still engaging in P.E. and recess. Students are more attentive when they are at optimal weight which could improve their grades and self esteem.
In our society today one of the most difficult problems we are facing is the large numbers of obesity in our children. One of the major factors in that is this; our children have become less physically active. At an early age children start watching TV, learn how to operate a computer, and play video games. Having technological skills is now a necessity in all of our lives because everything has turned “computerized,” but the fact is that our children are relying on these types of entertainment rather than getting up and physically exercising to entertain them selves. This directly affects the large number of obese children in our country today because of the lack of physical exercise. It is not that we want our kids to look a certain way or to be better at sports than everyone else, but it is that we want our kids to be physically fit and to develop a healthy lifestyle. Physical exercise is not only for adults, it is for children as well, so we must understand the importance of our children exercising and the benefits from it. By doing that it will make an impact on that child for the rest of his/her life.
In today’s society, too many children spend excessive time indoors watching television and playing video games. Children are becoming couch potatoes more and more each day. Childhood is the worst time to develop unhealthy habits. This type of behavior is the basis for an unhealthy, inactive lifestyle. Young kids need to get outside in the fresh air and stay active. In this day and age, there is no excuse for obesity in children. Although certain medical disorders can cause obesity, less than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems (obesity 1). Obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related primarily to lack of exercise and laziness. The parents of these young ones should be intelligent and responsible enough to see the positive effects of physical activity and sports. Athletics often gets children active and physically fit without them even knowing it. They are too busy having fun and competing to realize they are exercising.
Complicated is a good word to describe my childhood. I am originally from Lima, Peru, where I lived my first eight years. Also, I am the only child of my mom Susana Ramos, a secretary, and Julio Ayin, a pilot of the Peruvian air force. Since before I was born, my parents were separated because of infidelities. Both, frequently argued over money and myself. I had to constantly attend counseling sessions because I was acting up, due to the fact that I was getting affected by my parent’s hostile encounters. As a kid, I always looked at my friends and saw how their family were united and how they had a great relationship with their father, which I always wanted but never got. I spend countless nights, crying and trying to figure out why my father never came to see me and every time I ask him why he never told me. Until one day I found out that he got
Imagine walking across the stage in just a few years from now. Having thousands of eyes pointed at you as you take that emotional walk to finally receive your high school diploma. After a few years when you have graduated high school and started life, you're going to look back and think, what have I accomplished so far? Extracurricular activities can be very beneficial for students now, and those in the future as well. They can allow you to feel like you have accomplished something while in school. Extracurricular activities are important because they can benefit a student through personal, educational, and even social means. It is a great idea to get more students involved in extracurricular activities and parents should begin to give their kids a little push to get them more involved.