As a parent, I love my 13-year-old son, Jake, but I have to confess that he isn’t exactly the most active kid out there without a little push. With physical education classes and soccer being put on hold, and neighborhood bike rides with friends also sidelined, Jake has turned into a bit of a couch potato, opting for video games over physical activity. I’m sure many parents can relate to this struggle during these challenging times.
Just last weekend, he was begging for more screen time. Frustrated, I finally told him that he could have it, but only if he spent some time getting active first. To my surprise, he hopped on our stationary bike—while balancing a table, of course—and rode it longer than I anticipated. He even managed to watch his tablet while pedaling, and I had no complaints about that.
Did he wake up sore the next day? Absolutely not. Instead, he bounced out of bed feeling great, because, well, he’s 13.
The situation isn’t much different with my two daughters. We do manage to walk the dog together as a family, but with limited options for physical activities—especially while both parents are working from home and playgrounds are still closed—things can be tough. Like many parents, I want to ensure my kids stay active, but the cancellation of sports has made that difficult.
Recently, my partner Lisa and I received three sign-up emails: two for Jake and our 6-year-old daughter, Mia, to register for fall soccer, and one for our 10-year-old, Zoe, to join gymnastics. After the kids went to bed, we gathered at the kitchen table to weigh the risks and benefits of enrolling our children in sports amidst the ongoing pandemic.
For years, we’ve had a rule of one extracurricular activity per child. We believe it’s important for our kids to be engaged in something, but we also understand the need for balance. Now, we had to consider an additional factor: Can these activities be conducted safely in light of COVID-19?
We talked through what we knew about the virus and the current situation in our rural area of Oregon, where the case numbers were relatively low. As our region was in phase 2 of reopening, we felt optimistic that we’d reach phase 3 before the season kicked off.
Lisa pointed out the differences between soccer, which is played outside with plenty of space, and gymnastics, which occurs indoors. The nature of soccer—kicking a ball rather than throwing it—also minimizes the risk of virus transmission through shared equipment. In contrast, the gymnastics email failed to mention any disinfection measures or mask requirements, which raised our concerns.
After careful consideration, we concluded that soccer seemed like a safer option, while gymnastics felt too risky. This decision put us in a challenging position with our children. It’s always tough to tell them that some can participate while others cannot. So, we faced a choice: either opt out of sports entirely because gymnastics felt unsafe, or explain the situation to them and help Zoe find an alternative activity until gymnastics becomes safer.
In the end, we chose the latter. We signed Jake and Mia up for soccer and discussed options with Zoe. While she wasn’t thrilled at first, she managed to take the news relatively well. She’s currently considering soccer and cross country.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on what the “new normal” looks like. I used to worry about the logistics of juggling schedules, like what time to have dinner or how to get everyone to their events on the same day. Now, I find myself trying to evaluate the risks associated with my kids participating in these sports, beyond just the typical scrapes and bruises.
As areas begin to reopen, I believe other parents will face similar decisions. They’ll have to balance the risks against the benefits, considering the safety of their children based on their local situation and the specific sports involved. It’s essential to keep our kids safe while also ensuring they can live fulfilling, active lives.
I hope that Lisa and I made the right choice, but as we all know, circumstances can change overnight.
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Summary:
This article discusses the challenges of encouraging children to stay active during the pandemic. The author reflects on the decision-making process regarding enrolling their kids in sports while considering safety concerns related to COVID-19. They ultimately decide to sign their children up for soccer while postponing gymnastics for their middle child, navigating the complexities of parenting in uncertain times.