Welcome to the third section and conclusion of this blog post series describing why PIE is a good thing for kids. As discussed in part 1 preschoolers learning and developing new movement skills require “practice”. Practice represents the “P” in our PIE. The “I” in our PIE stands for “instruction”. Young kids eventually need to learn the “what, how, when, and where” to perform movement skills. Most of the time that type of information comes from the teaching and nurturing of parents, older siblings, and other family members. And that brings us to the “E” of PIE. There are two factors that have a very powerful influence on whether young children learn new movement skills and continue to develop those skills as they grow older. These two factors are enjoyment and encouragement, which represent the “E” of our PIE. Granted, these are two factors that begin with the letter E but this whole series would look a bit weird if it was entitled Every Child Needs Some Piee, so maybe you’ll cut me some slack on this point.
Enjoyment represents an “internal” factor for your child. It’s characterized by an emotion or feeling that a child has when she experiences pleasure, satisfaction, gratification, or a sense of fun whenever she is participating in an activity. Parents can attempt to nurture enjoyment in their child by creating a fun environment, but it’s ultimately up to the child whether she will enjoy the activity.
Parents can, however, influence the degree of enjoyment their child feels when performing an activity by providing lots of praise and encouragement. For young kids encouragement is primarily an “external” factor, which means it comes from outside of the child. As adults we are able to encourage ourselves when we need a psychological boost. Preschoolers, on the other hand, need to hear that praise and encouragement from someone else – ideally from their parents and family members. And what kind of praise should parents offer? They should praise effort, not outcome. If your child is out in the backyard attempting to hit a whiffle ball with a plastic bat or jumping up to try and grab a low hanging leaf from a tree – those efforts deserve some praise and encouragement. Now, it’s ok to give your child some small suggestions to help him throw, catch, or kick a little bit better (after all, that’s the instruction piece of our PIE), but don’t make a “chore” out of it and turn it into an unpleasant experience. Don’t worry about if he’s not performing a skill just right or not following the rules of a game exactly right. Don’t worry about outcomes (how far, how fast, how accurate). Be thrilled that he is out there giving it a shot.
So many older kids, even athletically gifted ones, gradually lose their joy playing sports because it ceases to be fun; it is no longer an enjoyable experience. That loss of enjoyment often develops as a result of too much criticism from coaches and/or parents and too little encouragement. Do your best to avoid that pathway for your child. Help her establish a strong positive view of physical activity and movement skills that is the seed for later successful sport participation. It will pay dividends as she grows older. In addition, for her future sport endeavors help her establish a deep sense of security that she can rely on her parents to be super supportive whether she wins or loses and whether she plays well or poorly.
Dr. Jennifer Fredricks, a leading psychologist from Connecticut College who specializes in children and sport states that “parents need to remember that the child’s enjoyment of athletics is the paramount concern”. Some of Dr. Fredricks’s recommendations for parents include the follow:
Parent’s To Do List
Do communicate positive feedback about your child’s ability
Do stress the value of participation
Do encourage your child’s involvement
Do attend your child’s games and competitions
Parent’s Not To Do List
Don’t put too much pressure on your child to perform
Don’t criticize your child’s performance
Don’t be over-involved in your child’s youth sporting activities
Hopefully, through your encouragement, your child’s level of enjoyment for physical activity and sports will continue to grow and sports participation will be something she will love to be a part of in the future rather than something she dreads. So remember, when it comes to enjoyment and encouragement with your young child:
Be stingy with your criticism
and
Be generous with your praise
Parents and family members…God bless you in the challenging and rewarding experience of raising a young child.
Welcome to the third section and conclusion of this blog post series describing why PIE is a good thing for kids. As discussed in part 1 preschoolers learning and developing new movement skills require “practice”. Practice represents the “P” in our PIE. The “I” in our PIE stands for “instruction”. Young kids eventually need to learn the “what, how, when, and where” to perform movement skills. Most of the time that type of information comes from the teaching and nurturing of parents, older siblings, and other family members. And that brings us to the “E” of PIE. There are two factors that have a very powerful influence on whether young children learn new movement skills and continue to develop those skills as they grow older. These two factors are enjoyment and encouragement, which represent the “E” of our PIE. Granted, these are two factors that begin with the letter E but this whole series would look a bit weird if it was entitled Every Child Needs Some Piee, so maybe you’ll cut me some slack on this point.
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