Need help with 9 year ols
Replies
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Please, please, please, discuss with your child's pediatrician. If s/he is not concerned then neither should you be. This forum that is open to the world is not a place to ask about your child's health. Children grow and develop at different rates. Please don’t put pressure on your child needlessly.0
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This is madness!
Testing little kids and making them feel inadequate because they can't run to a certain speed or do a bunch of sit-ups is like some kind of brown-shirt nightmare.
What happened to letting kids be kids?
As long as he is getting some fresh air and engaging in some physical activities appropriate to his age (which you say he is), then I wouldn't worry about him being an olympian just yet.
^^^this! Couldn't agree with you more. What happened to letting kids play and be kids. Now everything is standardized.0 -
Please, please, please, discuss with your child's pediatrician. If s/he is not concerned then neither should you be. This forum that is open to the world is not a place to ask about your child's health. Children grow and develop at different rates. Please don’t put pressure on your child needlessly.
This this this this!!!!!!!!0 -
9 years old is not too young to start working out but I think it is important to make it fun and not just something they have to do. My family always worked out and played together. When my mom would do her workout, we would do what we could. I was doing diamond cross-legged pushups by the time I was 11. We enjoyed working out. We always played outside whether it was some made up version of baseball or cops and robbers. We just gained strength naturally through playing and later playing sports. Maybe instead of taking him to run for a whole mile (that is long to start with) get him to play some games. Maybe go outside and play tag, or man hunt. Have a family outdoor day where you just play games. Start a family workout time. Keep track of the number of pushups and situps everyone can do and when goals are met have a family movie night where the person who met the goals gets to pick the movie. Just make things fun and they will want to do it forever.0
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Knee push ups. Yes, get him to go running with you.
I would also get him to start some kind of sport. Something like a martial art or even a team sport. Anything that he will enjoy.
When I was around that age, my dad would take me cycling in the local country roads. Was good fun exploring.0 -
I was the same way when I was 9. I could not do pushups to save my life and running was just out of the question. I did grow out of it and everything kind of "evened out" if you will. By the time I was in HS, I was playing sports (Basketball, Vollyball, Competitive Skiing, Skateboarding). If you want to help your son, just promote a healthy environment where proper diet and "exercise" are part of your daily routine. I don't mean he should be weight lifting or doing Insanity, but maybe go on nature walks on the weekends, play catch before dinner, or just let him play outside.0
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I would suggest exercise challengse during watching TV. During the commercials try to do as many push up, situp etc. It could be a good time for the both of you. that way you can implement it daily.0
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My sophomore year, they brought out the calipers and started measuring everyone's body fat. After day one, parents threw a royal fit and it stopped.I have a 9 year old as well, and I can't stand those "physical fitness tests". All they do is make kids feel bad about themselves. Let kids be kids.
It was ridiculous.0 -
A good question and I'm going through this now.
My 8 year old is somewhat similar, tall for his age but has the weight to go with it. That said, what I've seen are boys who are tall for their age have difficultly becuase they have a larger "frame" to manage. Shorter, more compact kids, his age are quick and have a better sense of balance becuae there's not as much body to account for. I know this sounds old school but as he matures he'll grow into it.
As far as the testing, our school does it and it's to encourage the kids to want to stay healthy. Of course it can backfire if your kid gets discouraged. It's just a bench mark so focus on what he can do and likes.
Regarding PE in schools, sorry but it's a joke any more. Just organized chaos. All my son does is run laps, play capture the flag, or kickball.
The comments about climbing are great. We do hiking with the cub scouts, and swimming (we're in Florida) and he loves it. The half push-ups are what my son does to. Again, a lot of "body" to manage.
The fact that you're involved with him is AWESOME! Keep up the good work mom!0 -
Not really, 9 year olds aren't toddlers anymore. Children that age should be doing some sort of physical activity that challenges them. The habits that a 9 year old forms may set the stage for his future health. You're not doing a kid any favors by waiting until they're in high school and then telling them it's time to start exercising. At that point the kid will think that they're just naturally not athletic, when in reality they've just never been in shape.
I used to play all sorts of sports throughout elementary school, and I clearly remember how out of shape and slow I got during the off season b/w sports. If I had never played those sports I probably would have just thought that I was slow and not good at running or sports. Nor would I have been able to make any of the sports teams I played on during highs school, which taught me what my athletic limits were. Those memories made losing weight and getting back into shape a lot easier after letting myself go for awhile.
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^^^^ Agree0 -
But that being said all these people who are saying it is madness to test this...are you aware that north american children are on average overweight and/or obese....many are getting type 2 diabetes in their early years....my own neice had to have her gall bladder removed due to her poor diet and obesity.
1 in 3 kids in the US are now classed as overweight and/or obese....that is madness. I may get bashed for this but the problem is that people don't want their kids to feel "bad"...that they don't measure up...that whole "no kid left behind" mentailty that has gone too far...where there are no losers all winners and get a medal for showing up...give me a break.:grumble:
I absolutely agree with this.
No one wants their child singled out for being "below" averages, but how can you help your child improve if you don't know they need help?0 -
Is 4'9" tall for a 9 year old boy? I keep seeing "tall for his age" and I am just curious as a mom to an average height kid.0
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My son is 8. He's 4'5" and 62lbs. He's skinny when you see him with clothes on. Without a shirt, he's a musclehead lol he's proud too.
He takes taekwondo 3 times a week. They run laps, do pushups, sit ups, jumps, etc. He is very fit. His class had a challenge yesterday for pushups. His opponent did 8, my son did 42. This kid does 20-40 pushups 3x a week.
Outside of his taekwondo class, he's always on his bike, running, climbing trees, being a kid.
He has limited screen time.
It's all about the importance parents put on fitness. Not so much as in sports and losing weight etc, but to explain that we eat well and exercise to be healthy and strong. My 4 year old is now taking taekwondo classes too, she's getting the right form for pushups and she can do 5 already!
Take him with you on bike rides, runs (maybe start small and work up to 1 mile, etc)... Make it a family affair!0 -
^^^ this ^^^
^this^0 -
Oh, if it's about strength, then take him indoor climbing. Forget push ups - I've met loads of kids who could crack out dozens of pull ups! (Used to work at a climbing wall.)0
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What the H... happened to dodge ball and floor hockey and TAG! And why on earth are we measuring our kids on their ability to do a chin up, by how fast they run or if they can do push ups and sit ups? This absolutely urks me. When I was a kid there was no testing. We went to gym class and ran our *kitten* off. We had to start changing clothes in grade 6 for gym becasue we sweat so hard and by grade 8 many of us were showering becasue we were sweaty and stinky and we weren't standing around getting tested on how fast we were or how many dang push ups we could do. BTW, when did a kid's muscle strength become so important. They need to get that heart rate going not bench press 220.
I am 38 years old and I still can't do a "man" push up. And chin ups, are you kidding me. I am working on strength now, but it is for me and no one else. But guess what, now I can out run many of the kids that could. Most of my former classmates would not have came in at 2 hours in there first half marathon - but I did. And I can think of 2, maybe 3 of my former classmates that would even contemplate running a full marathon. But I am in pre-trainining mode - and I'll do my first in 4. I was tall, awkward, lanky....pretty much all through school - my 12 year old is a mirror image of me 26 years ago. And I can see her becoming a runner. She would never win a race, nor would I, but we have determiniation and endurance so we will finish it.
I HATE standardize testing in general. It is not so much about how your child is doing, but moreso how the school is doing but at the end of it the child is the one feeling badly about themselves. We have run into this time and time again with our daughter. She never excels in standardize testing (average at best), but she is consistently in the top 10% of her class in her grades. So, I put very little faith in those tests. Actually none really.
Sorry to vent - I just think it sounds like your son is a normal 9 year old boy. Don't think you need to enroll him in every sport in the book now either. My kids are enrolled in more artistic activities - music, etc (and swimming lessons cuz that is a life skill) and activities that will last them a lifetime. My daughter is 12 and she is taking scuba lessons. She will be padi certified in a few months and that is a physical activity that she can do long into her adulthood and senior age if she likes. When they have off time and they are going to the "screens" we will kick them outside to play - biking, trampolining, walking...just kids being kids.0 -
I have a 9yr old....and she tested as well. I can honestly say that I'm not opposed to the fitness testing, as I went through it at her age. She, too, was the slowest in her class. She's average size (not thick/not a stick) That very week she started lacing up and running on the treadmill once I was done with my run....but it only lasted that week. I agree that is where our young ones learn active habits. I'm guilty....my husband and my daughter both will sit down on the computer and play video games. During the winter I'm ok with it....but over the summer I haven't been pulling her off/away from it like I should have. They are both extreme home bodies.0
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Is 4'9" tall for a 9 year old boy? I keep seeing "tall for his age" and I am just curious as a mom to an average height kid.
Google growth charts for boys....2-20 as there are two..one for infants/toddlers and the other for the rest.
My doctor pulled it out when my son was an infant because his grandparents were afraid my milk wasn' enough (they just wanted to feed him too...hehe)
You take their age/height and get a percentile ie my son was 105th percentile and weight 50th ...long and skinny...even after 2 his measurments stayed the same (percentile wise) even now at 19 he is in the 90th percentile for both..(6 ft 2 and 200lbs)0 -
Both of m boys (11 and 10) play organized sports throughout the year. They both play football, basketball and baseball, so they are in sports year round. They both play sports at a competitive level for their age, both playing traveling basketball and baseball. This guarantees nothing in regards to athleticism. Both struggle with pushup, neither can do pullups, and both are no better than average in speed.This is madness!
Testing little kids and making them feel inadequate because they can't run to a certain speed or do a bunch of sit-ups is like some kind of brown-shirt nightmare.
What happened to letting kids be kids?
As long as he is getting some fresh air and engaging in some physical activities appropriate to his age (which you say he is), then I wouldn't worry about him being an olympian just yet.
Not really, 9 year olds aren't toddlers anymore. Children that age should be doing some sort of physical activity that challenges them. The habits that a 9 year old forms may set the stage for his future health. You're not doing a kid any favors by waiting until they're in high school and then telling them it's time to start exercising. At that point the kid will think that they're just naturally not athletic, when in reality they've just never been in shape.
I used to play all sorts of sports throughout elementary school, and I clearly remember how out of shape and slow I got during the off season b/w sports. If I had never played those sports I probably would have just thought that I was slow and not good at running or sports. Nor would I have been able to make any of the sports teams I played on during highs school, which taught me what my athletic limits were. Those memories made losing weight and getting back into shape a lot easier after letting myself go for awhile.
Playing organized sports would definitely be beneicial to the OPs kids, but they aren't going to make massive improvements in his upper body strength or 40 time if he is already an active kid. Genetics is going to play a bigger role at that point until they are old enough for serious training.0 -
just wanted to add- not everything has to be "team sports" oriented- I didn't do well with teams up till I joined CC in high school. I didn't like team sports- I didn't fit in and they were stressful.
I think doing something more individually based (swimming or running) was a great choice- still team/comrade deal- but you were your own person- if you succeeded that was great- and if you failed it was on you.
so doesn't have to be ALL basketball soccer baseball football team sports- those CAN be stressful- but not to say there aren't other options (fencing/rockblimbing anyone!)0 -
maybe if you cared more about your health and fitness as a child you wouldn't be so weak today. something like say a test to determine where you fall on the fitness scale would have been beneficial as a child... hmmmm.What the H... happened to dodge ball and floor hockey and TAG! And why on earth are we measuring our kids on their ability to do a chin up, by how fast they run or if they can do push ups and sit ups? This absolutely urks me. When I was a kid there was no testing. We went to gym class and ran our *kitten* off. We had to start changing clothes in grade 6 for gym becasue we sweat so hard and by grade 8 many of us were showering becasue we were sweaty and stinky and we weren't standing around getting tested on how fast we were or how many dang push ups we could do. BTW, when did a kid's muscle strength become so important. They need to get that heart rate going not bench press 220.
I am 38 years old and I still can't do a "man" push up. And chin ups, are you kidding me. I am working on strength now, but it is for me and no one else. But guess what, now I can out run many of the kids that could. Most of my former classmates would not have came in at 2 hours in there first half marathon - but I did. And I can think of 2, maybe 3 of my former classmates that would even contemplate running a full marathon. But I am in pre-trainining mode - and I'll do my first in 4. I was tall, awkward, lanky....pretty much all through school - my 12 year old is a mirror image of me 26 years ago. And I can see her becoming a runner. She would never win a race, nor would I, but we have determiniation and endurance so we will finish it.
I HATE standardize testing in general. It is not so much about how your child is doing, but moreso how the school is doing but at the end of it the child is the one feeling badly about themselves. We have run into this time and time again with our daughter. She never excels in standardize testing (average at best), but she is consistently in the top 10% of her class in her grades. So, I put very little faith in those tests. Actually none really.
Sorry to vent - I just think it sounds like your son is a normal 9 year old boy. Don't think you need to enroll him in every sport in the book now either. My kids are enrolled in more artistic activities - music, etc (and swimming lessons cuz that is a life skill) and activities that will last them a lifetime. My daughter is 12 and she is taking scuba lessons. She will be padi certified in a few months and that is a physical activity that she can do long into her adulthood and senior age if she likes. When they have off time and they are going to the "screens" we will kick them outside to play - biking, trampolining, walking...just kids being kids.0 -
Do talk to his pediatrician. I started to notice that my almost 4 year old can't keep up with the other 3 and 4 year olds when running and playing. She breathes really heavy and they often lap her. She usually stops and sits down first too. Turns out she has asthma. I'm supposed to give her her inhaler before play, but with a 4 yearold play is pretty spontaneous so treatment is usually administered after the fact. Anyway it's something to think about. Physical standards don't always mean anything, but if he is outside the norm it could be because of a pyhsical, treatable problem.0
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This is madness!
Testing little kids and making them feel inadequate because they can't run to a certain speed or do a bunch of sit-ups is like some kind of brown-shirt nightmare.
What happened to letting kids be kids?
As long as he is getting some fresh air and engaging in some physical activities appropriate to his age (which you say he is), then I wouldn't worry about him being an olympian just yet.
I agree. Reading this post made me wonder wtf is wrong with his school. Most schools do the mile run a couple times a year and mine did situps once a year, but they never warned us in advance so there was no training to be done.
But I agree about talking to the pediatrician as well just to make sure there's nothing wrong since he's tall and thin, yet the absolute slowest and can't do a pushup. He might just not be particularly athletic, but it's also possible that he has a health problem.
Edit: Typo0 -
When I was 9, all the exercise I did was school pe and playing outside with my friends. As long as your child's weight is not effecting them medically, don't make your 9 year old worry about food or exercise. Just don't.0
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my son is 10 and is very active his teacher keeps telling me he is tired in school, I don't see it, he sleeps 12 hours so I never thought he was tired, anyway I took him to the Dr. and they did a bunch of blood tests and found out his iron is almost at 0 and the number should be over 100, and his Thyroid is not functioning properly. Now I wonder how long this has been going on because I never saw any problems0
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Ask which sport he likes and let him join a team like basketball, soccer, etc. or let him take some lessons in carate, climbing, horeseback riding, etc. There musst be something he likes and it will make him physicaly stronger and fitter.0
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This is madness!
Testing little kids and making them feel inadequate because they can't run to a certain speed or do a bunch of sit-ups is like some kind of brown-shirt nightmare.
What happened to letting kids be kids?
As long as he is getting some fresh air and engaging in some physical activities appropriate to his age (which you say he is), then I wouldn't worry about him being an olympian just yet.
This is my thoughts exactly. I wasn't ever able to pushups until I was in the military. Sounds like your son is in a basic training nightmare that I experienced when I was 22 years old. I think I'd be having a parent-teacher conference.0 -
This is madness!
Testing little kids and making them feel inadequate because they can't run to a certain speed or do a bunch of sit-ups is like some kind of brown-shirt nightmare.
What happened to letting kids be kids?
As long as he is getting some fresh air and engaging in some physical activities appropriate to his age (which you say he is), then I wouldn't worry about him being an olympian just yet.
^^^ this ^^^
There is too much 'monitoring' of kids at such young ages these days. So he runs a little slower, so what! So long as he's healthy and can actually run it matters not a jot how fast.
If your son wants to do more sports, by all means encourage him but also reassure him that someone has to be the slowest, and that (as I'm sure is the case) he is top of the class in other ways. I say that as a mum to a now 16 year old who was not good at PE/games at school, particularly at 7-12 years old. Happily my encouragement worked and although the only sport he does now is fencing he is fit and healthy and he wants some weights for Christmas :-)
I think we over test kids as well but North America is in the throes of an obesity epidemic and has downloaded some of the responsibility to the schools, so they have to figure out where they are to get to where they want to be. As for starting in grade four, I would encourage activity and keep him active by running with him, walking with him and encouragigf sport participation. Many may think he is too young to be worried but it will be a lot easier to build habits now than when he is in the throes of puberty. My parents were concerned before I hit puberty and did little to change my habits then got mad when I ballooned up in my late teens and when I wouldn't change the habits they hadhelped instill.0 -
Just a thought as I was very lean and tall at 9 years. I also have a kinesthestic problem with my muscles and often was slower and had difficulties with strength and coordinating my muscles then other children. Has he ever had an evaluation by a orthopedic or physical therapist?0
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This is madness!
Testing little kids and making them feel inadequate because they can't run to a certain speed or do a bunch of sit-ups is like some kind of brown-shirt nightmare.
What happened to letting kids be kids?
As long as he is getting some fresh air and engaging in some physical activities appropriate to his age (which you say he is), then I wouldn't worry about him being an olympian just yet.
This is my thoughts exactly. I wasn't ever able to pushups until I was in the military. Sounds like your son is in a basic training nightmare that I experienced when I was 22 years old. I think I'd be having a parent-teacher conference.
you couldn't do a push up till you were in the military- so what at the VERY youngest you were 18- at the oldest what 27?
that's your own fault or your parents fault. call it what it is- but outside of physical limitations/medical reasons- anyone who spends a few weeks/months working on it- can train to do them. at any age. basic shouldn't have been a nightmare for a 22 year old. that's WHY the schools are adding this crap in... because our children are getting lazier and fatter every year.0
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