If we carefully look at how the animal world is arranged, we will notice a characteristic feature. It consists in the fact that all young creatures possess incredible physical activity and inexhaustible energy, which they splash out of themselves without any visible benefit. And their parents at the same time behave more sedately and calmly.
Those who have had young kittens or puppies know how they love to play and how restless they are in their games. And if we take cubs of any predatory beast, we will notice that they are all quite active despite all their clumsiness and very quickly and skillfully develop hunting habits characteristic of their kind.
The Creator laid certain laws of growth and development into the nature of all living beings, and our children are no exception to these rules.
A healthy child is a mobile child. And a mobile child is a healthy child. After birth, infants spend much time sleeping, and when awake, they eat and learn about the new world surrounding them. This little creature already begins its physical activity through jerking its little hands and feet, lifting its head, and grabbing different objects. And the older he becomes, the more activity he shows.
At some point in his growing up, the child begins to turn over independently, crawl, sit, stand on his feet, walk, and run. Parents should not accelerate these processes and create unnatural conditions to force the child to do something earlier and more than is laid down by nature.
Parents need to know that babies do not yet have solid bones and strong muscles, and any unnatural poses of their body or physical loads can cause irreparable harm during the formation of their body.
It always makes me sad to watch when parents, for convenience, seat a nursing baby on their arms and walk with them like that, or tie them to their belly in a sitting vertical position to make it more convenient to move with him. Such treatment spoils posture and spine development, which will affect the child's development in subsequent years.
The baby should not be in such poses until his back strengthens and he begins to sit independently for long periods. Neither should convenient chairs for sitting be created for him, surrounded by pillows, if he cannot yet assume this position himself.
And so the child walked on his own feet. Although this looks clumsy and funny, new muscle groups come into action and begin to gain their elasticity and strength in natural loads. And it's amazing how quickly the baby masters the science of walking and running, and soon you understand that he has very little space in a closed room, and open space is the best place for splashing out accumulated energy and strength. And when these forces are exhausted, the baby is naturally drawn to sleep, after which he continues his restless games with new strength.
Blessed are those parents who live in such conditions where their children can freely develop and frolic in nature and in fresh air.
But many parents are very quickly tired by children's activity, especially if they also find themselves involved in these games. In such cases, it is necessary to be able to wisely exit the game and direct children's energy into a useful channel.
The law of children's body development teaches that the child should be mobile and have the opportunity to splash out his energy in natural conditions without harm to his health and without spoiling surrounding objects and property.
Clothing should correspond to games and not be too tight or constraining movement, but at the same time not too warm, so as not to cause excessive sweating of the body during active games.
As a rule, children very quickly show their inclinations and features in free time spending. An observant mother will easily identify what the child likes most and what he plays more willingly.
Physical education and sports for children are subjects that must be approached wisely and principally. It should be taken into account that, in addition to physical load, some types of sports carry dangerous philosophy, and this can harm the child's soul and distract him from God. Children's muscles are not designed for excessive loads that are customary to give in sports exercises and special training. And there are some types of sports in which one part of muscles is trained while others remain without attention, which leads to imbalances in physique.
We are born to be beautiful, slender, and aesthetically composed both in body and face, as well as in spirit and soul. With proper upbringing and physical activity, all spiritual values and physical features will be brightly expressed in appearance.
Unfortunately, sometimes the lifestyle or manner of parents' upbringing makes invalids or sickly beings out of healthy children who are afraid of everything that brings benefit because they were taught so.
Girls, like boys, should not be limited in physical activity because they are girls. If there is opportunity, then they should equally participate in all games, climb trees, ride bicycles, and move as is accepted among boys. In adolescence comes rethinking and division by gender features, but while your children are still children, let them actively develop and rejoice in life.
God Himself arranged and laid energy into childhood so that there would be very much of it. And parents' wisdom consists in observing children's games and controlling their behavior, directing their energy so that they get used to actively doing something for the good of the family or for the benefit of other people. Housework should also be included in the routine of children's activity, but not through orders, but in the form of entertaining games and special joy. Children, as a rule, like to help father and mother and show their creative abilities, especially when they are praised for this and inspired toward inventiveness and creative approach.
If there is no opportunity for children to be active outside the home, then equip a place for their active games in your dwelling.
If there is opportunity, then children need to be taught the art of swimming and the ability to independently stay afloat without auxiliary means. You don't know what situation your child might find himself in while traveling with his peers, and this knowledge can save his life. And once having learned to swim, he will not be afraid of water and will never forget this science. Moreover, contact with clean water from natural sources will always be beneficial and romantic if it doesn't lead the body to hypothermia.
Artificial pools are not the best place for constant use, since in order for water not to spoil and not bloom, and so that harmful bacteria don't multiply in it, much chemistry and poisonous substances are added to it, which ruins children's, and not only children's, organisms, though invisibly, but slowly and surely.
Believing parents, letting their children out on the street, should know where their children are, what they are doing, and with whom they are communicating. It's important that for the sake of physical activity, they don't fall under the bad influence of worldly people.
Questions for Reflection
Please read 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eccl. 11:10; Prov. 22:6; 29:17; Ps. 31:8; 118:9; 126:3; 138:14; Matt. 18:10; Isa. 40:30-31; Gal. 6:7, in light of this lesson. What other verses from the Bible came to your memory? What did you understand from this lesson? What relationship exists between a child's health and mobility? Why shouldn't parents accelerate the natural processes of a child's development? What should parents do when children's activity tires them? What requirements should children's clothing meet for active games? What types of sports can be dangerous for children's souls and health? What is the difference between natural children's activity, physical education, and sports training? What role does proper posture play in a child's health? Why shouldn't girls' physical activity be limited? How should housework be included in children's activity? What to do if there's no opportunity for active games outside the home? Why is it important to direct children's energy into useful channels?