While reading the newspaper this morning, an article caught my eye.

“Incorporating ‘play’ into PE to foster a love for exercise”

It was about incorporating elements of play into elementary school physical education so that children can enjoy moving their bodies.

Running, jumping, throwing. Instead of just practicing set movements, the goal is to help them discover the joy of moving their bodies through games and play. As the decline in children’s physical fitness has become an issue following the COVID-19 pandemic, they are trying to create opportunities for children to learn to love exercise.

I thought it was a good initiative.

However, as I read on, I was left with a slight sense of unease.

Helping children learn to love exercise during PE classes after they start elementary school.

Of course, there will be children who discover the joy of moving their bodies through that. I think there are also children who were previously not good at sports who might gain confidence through play.

However, I found myself wondering.

In the first place, when do children start to love moving their bodies? And is it really the school’s role to provide that spark?

I have an elementary school-aged child, Asahi, and a younger one, Harun.

From the time Asahi started walking, I often took him to the park. At first, he mostly played in the sandbox. Scooping up sand, dropping it, and scooping it up again. Repeating the same thing over and over.

As he got a little older, he started to run. Climbing the slide, going up the stairs, falling down and getting back up. I didn’t teach him any special exercises. I just went outside with him and joined in on what he wanted to do.

That continued for years.

Eventually, Asahi started saying, “Let’s go to the park” on his own. Now, moving his body is a part of his daily life. Harun is also spending time playing outside in the same way.

What I have valued was not improving athletic ability.

Playing outside is fun. Moving your body feels good.

It was about helping the children themselves develop those sensations.

And I think what is important here is that I also enjoy the time spent at the park myself.

I don’t take them there just because I have to for the sake of the children. Running and playing with them is a fun time for me as well.

What parents enjoy is passed on to their children.
Conversely, if parents find going outside to be a hassle, what about the children?

Spending holidays indoors. Enjoying videos and games rather than going outside. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. My own children watch videos and play games, too.

What do we make a part of our daily lives?

I believe that parents’ choices have a significant influence on that.

When we talk about children’s athletic ability, we use terms like “good athletic nerves” or “naturally fast runner.” It is true that there are innate physical characteristics and individual differences.

However, I have long felt uncomfortable with explaining things solely through those terms.

When they reach elementary school, some children love to run, while others dislike it. Is that difference truly innate?

Children who have been running around outside since they were one, two, or three years old versus children who have had few opportunities to move their bodies.

The experiences they have had over the years are not the same.
They are used to running. They are not afraid of falling. They intuitively understand how to move their bodies.

Could it be that such differences are sometimes dismissed by the term “athletic nerves”? In reality, the experiences accumulated over time might just be appearing as innate ability.

Of course, just because a child did not play outside in their early years does not mean their future potential is gone. Some children grow to love exercise after entering elementary school. Some people discover the joy of moving their bodies only after becoming adults.

That is precisely why I think the initiatives mentioned in this article are meaningful.

However, there is a difference in the starting point between children for whom moving their bodies has been natural since they were young and children who only discover that joy after entering elementary school.

How much of that difference can really be bridged by a few hours of physical education a week?

That is what I was concerned about.

I don’t think this is just a story about children’s physical fitness.

When I think about human resource development in my role in HR, I often encounter situations where we try to help people grow through training and educational systems.

Of course, training has meaning. Gaining new knowledge and being exposed to different ways of thinking can be a catalyst for change.

But just because someone receives training does not mean their behavior will change the next day. That is because they have years of accumulated habits in how they approach their work and how they face things.

People who have a habit of thinking for themselves versus people who are used to waiting for someone else’s instructions.
People who are used to taking on challenges even if they fail versus people who have prioritized not failing.

That difference cannot be easily bridged by a single training session.

Daily experiences shape a person.

That is how I feel.

And I think this is the same for raising children.

School physical education can teach the joy of exercise. However, whether moving one’s body becomes a part of daily life is not determined solely by PE classes.

Can a child who enjoyed running at school feel like running after they get home? When you say ‘let’s go to the park’ on a day off, will someone go outside with them?

Isn’t it the accumulation of such daily moments that gradually changes a child’s behavior?

On the other hand, we must not forget that circumstances differ from family to family. Some families cannot spend enough time playing outside with their children due to work or life constraints. Sometimes there is no safe place to play nearby.

Therefore, I do not intend to make parents solely responsible for everything. Rather, it is highly significant that schools can supplement experiences that could not be gained at home alone.

Even so, I think that what we expect from schools and what we can do at home are separate issues.

Children’s physical fitness is declining.
In response to that fact, there is an attempt to change PE classes.
Then, what have we adults been doing during the six years before children enter school?
If we want to raise children who love to move their bodies, we might be able to start by going outside together before teaching them the importance of exercise with words.

Children perceive what their parents value through their daily lives.

The time I spent with Asahi in the park was not special education. I just played with him because it was fun. As a result of that continuing for many years, playing outside became natural for Asahi.

If I had felt that playing outside was a hassle, would Asahi be different today?

I don’t know the answer to that. However, I think there were surely many things we could have done as parents before telling our children to ‘exercise more’ after they became elementary school students.

After finishing the newspaper article, I thought about such things.

Incorporating play into school physical education. That is likely an initiative to provide children with a new opportunity.

But perhaps what we really need to think about is whether we have to wait until they enter school for that opportunity.

Thinking of children’s physical fitness decline as a school issue. Before that, I would like to reconsider the meaning of the casual time spent at home.

When a child says ‘I want to play outside,’ what kind of expression do we adults have on our faces?

I feel like the answer, which we haven’t seen yet, lies within those small, everyday moments.

It was on a day when I was thinking about such things. When I was talking to Asahi, I suddenly asked him.

“Asahi, why do you like playing outside?”

Asahi thought for a moment, then answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Because it’s fun.”

“When did you start liking it?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Hasn’t it been since a long time ago?”

Saying that, Asahi laughed. Hearing that answer, I thought for a moment.

For Asahi, playing outside has become such a natural part of life that he can’t even remember when it started.

I’m sure he barely remembers me taking him to the park or running around with him.

But even if he doesn’t remember, there are things that have been building up.

“Then, what do you think would have happened if Dad hadn’t taken you to the park since you were little?”

Asahi tilted his head slightly.

“I don’t know. But I like playing with you, Dad.”

Hearing those words, I smiled. I see. I wasn’t taking him to the park because I wanted him to like exercise.

I just wanted to play with him. And I think Asahi felt the same way.

When we wish for children to like something, we think about how we can get them to like it.

But before that, are we adults enjoying it ourselves?

Asahi had already started talking about the next game. As I listened to him, I thought about going to the park together again. Not to teach him something, but just to play together.

#YuzuruStory
#Parenting
#HomeEducation
#OutdoorPlay
#PhysicalAbility
#DeclineInChildrensPhysicalFitness
#ChildhoodExperience
#ParentChildTime
#HumanResourceDevelopment
#ThinkingAboutEducation

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