PE Credits for the non Athletic

[kerenlynne]

If you have a child who has no interest in sports, what do you do to earn HS PE credits? Or do you not worry about it? I looked around for a prior thread but I didn't see any. Before we pulled DS out of Public School, PE was an easy A for him which I find funny because he is not athletic at all. Basically-if you wear your uniform and show up with a modicum of respect, you get an A. I am in Texas BTW which has no requirement of PE for Homeschooling. DS has multiple LDs which makes the college of choice most likely a community college part time.

[Mouseketeer67]

Well if your son is going to community college & Texas has no requirements for homeschooling PE, then why bother worrying about it?

[caroljenn]

Well if your son is going to community college & Texas has no requirements for homeschooling PE, then why bother worrying about it?

 

I agree completely. I wouldn't be doing it at all, being that I have a dd with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, except for the fact that California requires it for high school graduation. It's ridiculous in our case. The state requirements say that kids must have 40 minutes of activity 5 days per week. And a counselor at a public high school said all of the kids are required to do it (even those who are profoundly disabled) "to their level." So if all you can do is move your arm back and forth, that's good enough. She seriously told me that. Truly ridiculous. But not surprising being that we are here in loony California!

 

Dd does very very limited activity to meet the requirements. Walking to the car and into the market counts as part of her "p.e. walking". When she is feeling well, we do a little more, and that counts as makeup time. I am not going to risk my dd's health to please government bureaucrats.

 

I would not waste my time if I were you. This is one of those governmental one size fits all rules when one size does not fit all.

[swellmomma]

Even though he does not like sports, I would encourage some sort of PE. The reason being that being fit is not about graduation so much as about being healthy. I would rather enforce it while they were still under my roof with the hopes it continues as a lifetime thing. There is more to PE than sports. Lifting weights, swimming, walking/running, yoga, rowing, rock climbing, snow shoeing, skiing, badminton, dancing etc there is so much to be done that is not a sport (I assume you are referring to team sports). I would actually tie PE to health and include nutrition etc within it. Because there is no specific requirements it allows more options into what you want to count. You do not have to acheive a specific level, or a certain number of skills, just getting moving and being somewhat physically active daily would count towards that goal. Just because it is not required by teh gov't doesn't mean it should be done.

[Brenda in MA]

Well if your son is going to community college & Texas has no requirements for homeschooling PE, then why bother worrying about it?

 

I wouldn't necessarily worry about meeting a state requirement for PE if you don't have to. But -- exercise is important for overall health as we get older, so I think it might be worth trying to find some kind of activity your son can do now for PE and then could be done later by him as an adult to stay fit. I had one of my sons in a twice/week general teen workout class at the local Y for awhile. Now he knows how to use all of their workout equipment, so he would feel comfortable going there when he's older to work out. We've also done some family hiking, and a lot of biking. Swimming is also something one can do for exercise if you have a local Y, and jogging is pretty easy to do most anywhere.

 

I can understand the other poster's issues with a child who has chronic fatigue, and I definitely wouldn't push exercise in that case, but if the child is otherwise healthy, I think it's important to make sure he/she has adequate exercise through high school.

 

Brenda

[CupOCoffee]

I have not idea if I have a PE requirement as a homeschooler in NJ. But I so agree with swellmomma: it's about being healthy and carrying that with them when they leave home. In our house "PE" is them running around and playing outside when weather permits, or doing one of many DVD options when confined inside. It's an every day requirement. They do things like Step Aerobics, Tai Bo (sp?), Leslie Sansone walking DVDs, Wii sports...

 

~coffee~

[regentrude]

I would not worry about the credit requirement, but I would definitely consider it important for a young person to get regular exercise. Count the hours, award credit when he has enough hours. Exercise does not have to be "athletic" - it can be hiking, biking, swimming, skateboarding, rock climbing.

[TexasRachel]

I told dd she needs to train towards and run a 5k this year for PE. Mainly because I want her to be healthy. She also did lifepacs health unit.

[kerenlynne]

Thanks- I just wondered what others do since he will never be on any sports team. He is very healthy and is capable of excercise, he just is really uncoordinated. Good to know some of you use dvds or video games for fitness since we live in a small town and there aren't a lot of options for fitness classes at a gym for him. He does go for walks or runs with me when I take the dog to the park but I just lack the vision to see all of these things as part of a PE class.

[elegantlion]

My son is not into organized sports. We've done a couple of different things for PE. One is the President's Fitness Challenge It's free to sign up and you can earn awards by keeping track of your time spent active. They give you some great ideas on what is considered "active".

 

We also walk and hike, so I created a Walk around the World Challenge. I was inspired by another poster here. We went onto Google maps and mapped out a path around the world, picking several key locations along the way. Every time we walk around our city for 30 minutes we log 75 "miles" on our journey (we use a notebook to keep track). Once we hit a destination we look up some information about that place. If I know someone from that city, I've even asked them to send us a postcard. We've really slacked on it this summer because it was hot, then we were sick this fall, and I can't walk in the cold (asthma). So we're behind, but it will take us probably four years to finish our walk. Ds wants us to do it together. It's fitness, it different, it's easily tracked, and it educational. I'm also requesting tourist information in the mail. I consider it a consolation prize for not being able to travel as much as I'd like.

[caroljenn]

I wouldn't necessarily worry about meeting a state requirement for PE if you don't have to. But -- exercise is important for overall health as we get older, so I think it might be worth trying to find some kind of activity your son can do now for PE and then could be done later by him as an adult to stay fit. I had one of my sons in a twice/week general teen workout class at the local Y for awhile. Now he knows how to use all of their workout equipment, so he would feel comfortable going there when he's older to work out. We've also done some family hiking, and a lot of biking. Swimming is also something one can do for exercise if you have a local Y, and jogging is pretty easy to do most anywhere.

 

I can understand the other poster's issues with a child who has chronic fatigue, and I definitely wouldn't push exercise in that case, but if the child is otherwise healthy, I think it's important to make sure he/she has adequate exercise through high school.

 

Brenda

 

 

I agree with all of the other posters about physical exercise being important, I didn't mean to imply that I didn't, in fact, I just got back from the gym! The thing I don't like is that the state has specific requirements for every child, whether or not that child is able. I think every child should be encouraged to stay active. Mine was active until she got sick - she was a figure skater for 6 years and played basketball for 4, and finished all the entire swim lesson sequence in the summers. She is just a special case.

 

I just don't think I'd worry about the requirements if I didn't have to.

I also think every person should know CPR.

 

Completely off topic, but I recently heard a radio program that quoted statistics on how amazingly ineffective CPR is. Something like 5% of all victims of heart attacks who get CPR outside of a hospital survive one month. Ah, here we are: http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2013/jan/15/bitter-end/ 90% of doctors surveyed said that they would NOT want to have CPR performed on them if they were in cardiac arrest.

[Alice]

Completely off topic, but I recently heard a radio program that quoted statistics on how amazingly ineffective CPR is. Something like 5% of all victims of heart attacks who get CPR outside of a hospital survive one month. Ah, here we are: http://www.radiolab..../15/bitter-end/ 90% of doctors surveyed said that they would NOT want to have CPR performed on them if they were in cardiac arrest.

 

 

Ok, I had to look as I couldn’t believe that statistic. It actually says that 90% of docs said no CPR given “ a scenario of irreversible brain injury without terminal illnessâ€. That’s very different from no CPR in cardiac arrest in general.

 

CPR is not incredibly effective but it does triple the rate of survival from nothing...it’s about 2% survival for CPR out of hospital and 6-8% for survival with CPR out of hospital. It’s much more effective when done in a hospital. If you add in early defibrillation with AEDs (which should be taught in any basic CPR class these days) the rate of survival in an out of hospital arrest rises to about 30%.

[swellmomma]

Ok, I had to look as I couldn’t believe that statistic. It actually says that 90% of docs said no CPR given “ a scenario of irreversible brain injury without terminal illnessâ€. That’s very different from no CPR in cardiac arrest in general.

 

CPR is not incredibly effective but it does triple the rate of survival from nothing...it’s about 2% survival for CPR out of hospital and 6-8% for survival with CPR out of hospital. It’s much more effective when done in a hospital. If you add in early defibrillation with AEDs (which should be taught in any basic CPR class these days) the rate of survival in an out of hospital arrest rises to about 30%.

 

Yup. My teens are both certified in first aid, CPR and AED use. I have never regretted it. $100 a kid, 2 day course, and they have it. I feel much much better knowing they do when they babysit or are off with friends etc. Most public venues now have AED machines all over the place, and knowing that they know how to use one and help someone like that is important to me. Which reminds me, they need to take their certificates into cadets next week so it can be added to their files that they have it.

 

 

Even if the outcomes are low, and the chance of ever actually needing to use the skill is even lower, just having the knowledge of WHAT to do is helpful. Panicing in the moment of someone needing help and feeling helpless gives that person 0% chance fo survival. Knowing how to do CPR or other life saving measures, even if it is only a 2% survival rate is 2% better than not knowing kwim.

[Julie Smith]

One idea I have for a highschool PE credit.

 

Read a book about how city design affects a person's ability to move around without a car. Then using maps and non-car moods of transportation get around the city to different areas of interest. At the end of this course the student will be able to confidently navigate the city/town using human power and not a car. (Note this type of thing can only be done in certain areas, I know that)

 

Biking

So this would include using a map and charting out different bike paths. Then going on bike trips to get to library/pool/museum/stores...

Learn how to bike safely on roads.

Learn about different options for transporting things on bike. (saddle bags...)

Learn how best to lock up your bike, local bike laws, ...

Read some articles about people who have biked a large distance (ie. Across Canada)

Go on various bike trips and chart distance, time, ... Go on a total of X different trips covering at least Y distance.

 

Walking/Bus trips

Learn the bus schedule.

Learn how to take the bus in a smart manner. (Not losing your transfer, having correct change, ...)

Learn about different options for transporting things on bus/walk trips. (Can you take a bike on the bus? If so do that once to make sure you know how to)

Go on various walking/bus trips and chart distance, time, ... Go on a total of X different trips covering at least Y distance.

 

Running

Go to a local Running store

Learn about run groups in your area

Take part in a learn to run group if you can, if not do the couch to 5K by yourself.

 

Other

What about other things you can do in town to get from place to place? Try at least 2 of them. Find a way to take part cheaply. (Ie. does your local thrift store carry skates and helmets? Is there a learn to rollerblade group in your town?)

Skating (If you live in some places you can actually skate to work in winter)

Rollerblading

Skateboarding (Lots of students in our area do skateboard to school on long cruising skateboards)

Cross Country skiing

Horseback riding (We do have 2 mounted police officers in our town. They are neat to spot. It was surprising to see the first time. The officer was in a park, he stopped got off his horse and handed out stickers, then jumped back on his horse and rode away)

 

Get involved

If possible attend a local meeting about transportation. Offer you opinion at a meeting or as a letter to the editor reviewing bike trails / sidewalks / ...

 

ETA: If you are curious I have similar ideas for all 4 years of highschool PE.

[dhudson]

Mine does karate and then golf in the summer.

[vonfirmath]

A friend's kids did karate.

[Arcadia]

Swimming is useful for cardio, pulmonary health and CPR is a useful life skill even if you may never need to use it.

 

My doctors actually encouraged me to swim for my asthma and it did help a lot.

 

The state requirements say that kids must have 40 minutes of activity 5 days per week. And a counselor at a public high school said all of the kids are required to do it (even those who are profoundly disabled) "to their level." So if all you can do is move your arm back and forth, that's good enough. She seriously told me that. Truly ridiculous. But not surprising being that we are here in loony California!

 

I did physical therapy during my PE class for high school *duck*

[NancyNellen]

My oldest daughter and I did Couch to 5K for the first couple months of this year. Now, she uses our elliptical 3x a week for 30 minutes.

[Mouseketeer67]

I wouldn't necessarily worry about meeting a state requirement for PE if you don't have to. But -- exercise is important for overall health as we get older, so I think it might be worth trying to find some kind of activity your son can do now for PE and then could be done later by him as an adult to stay fit.

Brenda

 

I seem to have struck a nerve, however I wasn't trying to suggest that exercise isn't important. I agree that it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. I was only suggesting that the OP not worry about documenting PE for high school graduation & transcripts if she doesn't have too.

[mom2jjka]

My kids are not really athletically inclined either, but I still encourage health and fitness.

I give PE credit for things like bowling, rollerskating, swimming at the Y, and using our stationary bike or the Wii Fit.

[happypamama]

We're required to do some sort of PE (how much is unspecified); for a while, DD did ballet, but these days, we simply count bike riding, family walks/hikes, swimming, playing outside. I put a nice "spin" on it and mention that we "focused on fitness for life activities," because I think it's good for kids to have some sort of activity that they enjoy, even if they're not very athletically inclined, and I think it's good for those activities to be things that don't require special equipment or teams.

 

If I really had trouble getting it in, I might opt for a ten-minute (or whatever) kid-friendly stretching or aerobics DVD or something.

[mckive6]

I want my daughter to have at least 1/2 PE credit, and she is on on varsity cross-country and track, but she runs because she loves it, not because she wants to look good on college transcripts. I definitely agree with above posters, excercise is important even if not required. Plus, my kids seem to focus better with excercise on the schedule, it keeps them alert and helps break up the schoolday. We like to ice skate, snowtube, swim, play tag, rollerskate, bike, and just mess around outside. And, I know a lot of people are against/(can't for medical reasons) jog, but if you can, it's a great form of excercise. You control the speed, and its one of those sports you can do any time, with music! Plus, my dd is in the best shape of her life after joining xc/track. She thinks it's improved her ability in other sports as well, like basketball and soccer.