Physical Education

[choirfarm]

What do you do for physical education for high school? My nearly 14yo LOVES sports...watching them that is. When he was younger he tried soccer, baseball, basketball and now he does play flag football in the fall on Saturdays. But he has always been small and he didn't really want to play sports after he turned 9 or so, because only the "good" ones got to play. (Please don't get me started...) So he turns 14 in a couple of weeks and is only 5 foot. His cousin who is 3 days older is 6 foot, so organized sports is probably out. He would get squashed.. He and his brother ride their bike and play basketball on the driveway. ( His brother turns 12 in a couple of weeks and is 1/2 inch shorter.) We live on 50 acres. We are taking a trip to Alaska in September and need to get ready for all of the hiking. We've tried getting up and running/walking but then we are gone on a vacation or it gets cold in the morning or it rains for a week straight and we get out of the habit. I need to do something as well. But I can't figure out what to do consistently. There is a fitness center, but it is 20 minutes away so that would mean 2 hours out of our schedule... That is another thing, how do you schedule it with all of your work???

 

Christine

[GreenKitty]

Phys ed to me is pass or fail. All those things you mentioned (bike riding, basketball, hiking), I would consider part of phys ed. You could always try to find a workout video at the library?

[Catherine]

I have all boys. My eldest probably has untreated ADD, but suffice it to say he has always been extremely physically active. Right now he is on a swim team and a squash team so he has some kind of practice pretty much every day. While my ds is not small, both of his sports would work fine for a person of small stature. He definitely does it for the exercise, not the competitions, though he likes those too.

 

With my current 6th grader, it's different. He's my couch potato : ) This past year we offered him the option of coming to the gym with dh and I in the AM of joining swim team as his PE. He chose swimming. He's not quite the slowest in his age group : ) But we do it for the lifelong benefits, forming good habits of regular exercise, not just to compete in meets. So finding a way to swim IMO is the very kind of exercise and low risk of injury.

 

As long as you encourage habits of regular exercise to the point of sweating, I think it's fine. Perhaps long bike rides?

[Jean in Wisc]

I had my sons run. We researched it and then slowly had them work their way up from walking to running. This last summer, my son got to be on a homeschool cross-country team where "normal" was a 5-mile race.

 

BTW, when he had back surgery last month, every nurse said they could tell he was a runner--he didn't need oxygen after the surgery and his heart rate was 88 instead of the more average 120. He recovered much more rapidly than the average kid. Every time they worked and saw his recovery time, they asked if he was an athlete and then said, "Ah! That's why."

 

Get them out off the couch and into something that gets their lung capacity up--it made a HUGE difference in the health of my child!

 

Jean

[choirfarm]

Ok...so how do you schedule this.. I'l have my9th grader doing: computer programming, Spanish, Apologia Chemistry, Chalkdust Geometry, TOG redesigned 3, IEW Essay Intensive or Elegant Essay, and piano with competitions. What time of day? And I'll be honest, he won't do it if I'm not watching.. I will also have a 7th grader and a 2nd grader, piano lesson, violin lessons for youngest, and taking care of my disabled father who doesn't drive and now has lung and bladder cancer. I think I'm dropping co-op even though I don't know how we will do labs and children's choir. I'm going to keep adult choir/praise team for my sanity/outlet. I will have dropped everything else I love to do. We also live on 5o acres and they do the riding lawnmower as do I, push mower, etc. I just can't figure out how to fit it all in.

 

Christine

[Jean in Wisc]

Ok...so how do you schedule this.. I'l have my9th grader doing: computer programming, Spanish, Apologia Chemistry, Chalkdust Geometry, TOG redesigned 3, IEW Essay Intensive or Elegant Essay, and piano with competitions. What time of day? And I'll be honest, he won't do it if I'm not watching.. I will also have a 7th grader and a 2nd grader, piano lesson, violin lessons for youngest, and taking care of my disabled father who doesn't drive and now has lung and bladder cancer. I think I'm dropping co-op even though I don't know how we will do labs and children's choir. I'm going to keep adult choir/praise team for my sanity/outlet. I will have dropped everything else I love to do. We also live on 5o acres and they do the riding lawnmower as do I, push mower, etc. I just can't figure out how to fit it all in.

 

Christine

 

I hear you. It reminds me of the 2 years my hubby worked on the other side of the state. The kids and I ran the farm while he was gone--and that was the time my mom had heart surgery and I am the only near sibling to care for her. I now have one in college (living at home), one graduating this spring and a 9th grader. They are so independent and life is so incomparably easy--busy, but I am once more doing some of those things I love to do! Just hold in there! Choose the "must do's" and let the rest go. There will be light at the end of the tunnel.

 

As far as the time to run: my sons preferred to do it mid-afternoon. It was a way to get the kinks out of the muscles and refresh the mind. They just pulled on their shoes and headed out along a specified route. I scheduled them to do so on Mon-Wed-Fri on their school schedule, but when my one son started cross-country, he ran most days. I could tell a difference in their ability to keep on task when they ran--and they were much less likely to drive me nuts by their going nuts! Exercise is SO important!

 

Hope you year settles down. :grouphug:

 

Jean

 

P.S. I did astronomy for my sanity-keeping hobby. I always said it was the best mommy-hobby: you can do it between midnight and 6a.m. LOL! Sometimes I'd announce that I didn't think I'd go to the club meeting and my kids would push me out the door saying I NEEDED to get away. :) Life can be that way. Blessings with your dad.

Edited February 8, 2009 by Jean in Wisc

[Storm Bay]

My dc swim. In swimming the goal is to improve your personal time, so you don't have to be "good." I was terrible at sports and I was tall, so I empathize. Actually, my 8 yo is still in lessons. My 13 yo was not a natural at swimming, started taking lessons at 6 and wasn't ready to go on a team for a good 5 years. She's now got excellent technique, but still lacks size. However, she's improving her times a lot, so has been ecstatic with a number of her times lately. We don't know how she'll really do until she finishes growing, and it looks like she's going to move from being short to being average to above average in height as she's growing on the later side (but dh is 6 ft and I'm 5 ft 10 in, so even though there are petite family members she has a good chance of being average or a bit above average in height.)

 

Swimming and running are good. There are sports that are good for kids who are not tall, but I can't think of any that are inexpensive off the top of my head.

[choirfarm]

 

As far as the time to run: my sons preferred to do it mid-afternoon. It was a way to get the kinks out of the muscles and refresh the mind. They just pulled on their shoes and headed out along a specified route. I scheduled them to do so on Mon-Wed-Fri on their school schedule, but when my one son started cross-country, he ran most days. I could tell a difference in their ability to keep on task when they ran--and they were much less likely to drive me nuts by their going nuts! Exercise is SO important!

 

.

 

Hi Jean,

 

So how did you stay consistent? Right now I have vision therapy with my daughter on Mondays- we leave at 2:30and get back at 4:30. On Wednesday morning we have co-op and in the afternoon they boys have 2 hours of piano while I go take my dad to Walmart or whatever. My daughter has violin on Thursdays, we leave at 1:45 and get back at 3. So I guess they could do it at 1pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday??? Then we would do it for awhile but we will be gone to Corpus witht he trailer feb 19-24th then it is trying to get back into the routing. We get into the routine for a couple of weeks then my in-laws will be here for spring break. Then the last week is the week of SAT=10 testing at a private school.. Plus, how do you handle variations in weather. Right now, running at 1pm will be great, but by May itis likely to be 90 at that time and June, July and August here in Texas are unbearable. We tend to get out with our huge garden and do chores from 7-9am and then don't go out again until 8pm. So do you just vary it according to schedule?? I just have a hard time being consistent with anything because I can't ever have the same thing happening for more than 2 weeks in a row: dad had doctor appointments, we are off on another vacation ( only real time dad spends with them so he takes off a week, sometimes 2 every quarter), or someone visits or it rains all week. You get the idea. How do you MAKE yourself do it..

[Jean in Wisc]

Hi Jean,

 

So how did you stay consistent? Right now I have vision therapy with my daughter on Mondays- we leave at 2:30and get back at 4:30. On Wednesday morning we have co-op and in the afternoon they boys have 2 hours of piano while I go take my dad to Walmart or whatever. My daughter has violin on Thursdays, we leave at 1:45 and get back at 3. So I guess they could do it at 1pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday??? Then we would do it for awhile but we will be gone to Corpus witht he trailer feb 19-24th then it is trying to get back into the routing. We get into the routine for a couple of weeks then my in-laws will be here for spring break. Then the last week is the week of SAT=10 testing at a private school.. Plus, how do you handle variations in weather. Right now, running at 1pm will be great, but by May itis likely to be 90 at that time and June, July and August here in Texas are unbearable. We tend to get out with our huge garden and do chores from 7-9am and then don't go out again until 8pm. So do you just vary it according to schedule?? I just have a hard time being consistent with anything because I can't ever have the same thing happening for more than 2 weeks in a row: dad had doctor appointments, we are off on another vacation ( only real time dad spends with them so he takes off a week, sometimes 2 every quarter), or someone visits or it rains all week. You get the idea. How do you MAKE yourself do it..

 

Just do it when you can. My one son was dutiful and did it whenever he could--he fit it into his day. My other son was lazy and avoided it as much as he could. At some point I realized that I could not decide for my lazy son to turn a new leaf. I did my best at watching that he got it done, but to be truthful, he got a lot less out of the program than the other son. Somehow along the way I decided that I would do the best I could to make the opportunity and scheduling it. Reality is that we can only push so hard in life, and sometimes our kids end up getting what they put into it--and that is all.

 

:banghead:no more.

 

:) Jean

[adrienne]

My experience: I broke down and bought a used treadmill and an elliptical. I make my dc walk 20-30 min several times a week; otherwise, there was no guarantee that they'd get any aerobic exercise. I can't say they're thrilled with it, but it has now become somewhat routine and I get less resistance. Plus, they're able to read or listen to music/books on tape while doing it.

 

Scheduling it in can be tricky. Waking early to exercise is really the only way to ensure it gets done; however, I don't always get up that early so then the kids don't either. Mid-morning or before lunch also works -- again, it really depends on the day, activities, etc.

 

The one benefit is that the weather no longer factors in...and, the whole family has access to it.

 

Adrienne

[Jean in Wisc]

My experience: I broke down and bought a used treadmill and an elliptical. I make my dc walk 20-30 min several times a week; otherwise, there was no guarantee that they'd get any aerobic exercise. I can't say they're thrilled with it, but it has now become somewhat routine and I get less resistance. Plus, they're able to read or listen to music/books on tape while doing it.

 

Scheduling it in can be tricky. Waking early to exercise is really the only way to ensure it gets done; however, I don't always get up that early so then the kids don't either. Mid-morning or before lunch also works -- again, it really depends on the day, activities, etc.

 

The one benefit is that the weather no longer factors in...and, the whole family has access to it.

 

Adrienne

 

I'm looking at buying a treadmill soon. My son had spine surgery, and it will be a while before he is able to get outside (read snow and ice). He'd like to get jogging again as soon as the doctor allows it...and I'd use it, too! :)

Edited February 9, 2009 by Jean in Wisc
Treadmill

[adrienne]

It really is a great investment, especially when your children see you exercising. For me, it was important that my children see us exercising regularly. Finding the time is often a challenge. Record keeping, even just a check mark on a calendar, works wonders to ensure compliance.

 

Best wishes to you and your son, especially with regard to his rehab. I'm sure he'll love the treadmill, until the weather warms and he can enjoy the outdoors again.

[charlotteb]

My oldest child isn't in high school yet, but this is what I plan to do for P.E. when the time comes: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/home_teens.aspx

 

I figured we could work on it each day for a semester and aim to meet the goals.

[Storm Bay]

I'm looking at buying a treadmill soon. My son had spine surgery, and it will be a while before he is able to get outside (read snow and ice). He'd like to get jogging again as soon as the doctor allows it...and I'd use it, too! :)

 

How about swimming? There's a boy who recently joined my dd's swim team because he broke his back playing soccer (stress fracture) and the only sport he can do is swim (I guess he can walk, but he wants a sport.) Not that your ds needs to join a team, but laps are good.

[Lori D.]

We have 2 hours a week in the school schedule for PE (which equals 1/2 credit total per school year). They can choose to do it in whatever combination they want -- 1 hour on 2 different days; 30 minutes on 4 different days; or other combo. They have several options open to them:

 

- briskly walk the dog first thing in the morning with me for 30 minutes

- run or bike on their own for 30 minutes (before school; lunch; after school; weekend)

- tennis (we have courts at a nearby high school open to the public after school hours; or as a family on the weekends)

- swim laps (when I am swim laps at the heated public pool 10 minutes away, during school hours or just after school)

- X-box, dance pads and Dance Dance Revolution (after school, on rainy days)

- shoot hoops/play 4-square for 30 minutes (once a week evening church Youth Group)

- occasional weekend or holiday family hikes

 

 

 

More ideas:

- A parks & rec class you do together (aerobics, ballroom dancing, tai bo, martial arts, etc.)?

- Regular weekend activity with other homeschoolers or as a family?

- After school basketball league or bowling league?

- He keeps track of his hours to count towards a goal -- like the President's Challenge (http://www.presidentschallenge.org/) or The Congressional Award (http://www.congressionalaward.org/)?

 

 

It still takes prodding from me, at least for the younger "couch potato" son -- usually along about Tues/Wed I'm asking, "So, what did you decide to do for PE this week == and when is it going to get done, so that you'll still have the opportunity to do any gaming you want to this weekend??" (No gaming (which is a treat only allowed on weekends) till responsibilities are finished.) This week our boys both joined the nearby public high school tennis team, so they'll have no problem getting in their hours for the rest of this school year. Now, we just need to get those community service hours in... :) BEST of luck in finding what works for your family! Warmly, Lori D.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Lori D.
added info

[Jenn in CA]

We started off really small with running. Small is better than nothing. We started with 20 minutes 3x/week. We were able to do it at about the same time every day, but if that's difficult, maybe just schedule it in week by week. We spent about 8 months at just this small level, mainly building the habit.

 

It helps if you're dressed in your running clothes from the beginning of the day.

 

Getting the whole family out at once is more difficult than just taking one child at a time (they can go alone the other days). Another way is to drive to a high school with a track, then the little ones can play in the middle where you can see them.

 

We also have a treadmill, which my teens prefer because they can watch movies. We also have an indoor rowing machine. So, no excuses around here.

 

As for making yourself do it.... pretty soon you feel so good doing it, that you miss it. Although I found I had to push myself pretty hard to get the point where I really felt amazingly good afterwards. (Ie. moderate exercise doesn't make me feel amazingly good and I don't miss it.)

 

Also, when I was running just for myself, it was harder to make myself. When I made myself responsible for my kids' exercise, I was more motvated to be consistent for them.