Many parents fear for their child’s health. Children are significantly less active than they once were, choosing video games and television over swings and sports. In this new craze, many parents are trying desperately to get their children away from the screens and into sports and activities that encourage physical health. However, a parent can only do so much to force their child to be active. You can take away the iPad, and force them outside, but that won’t guarantee that they will run and play the way you once did. Instead, many find it beneficial to get their child involved in an activity such as a sport. Parents then find ways to encourage their child to enjoy the activity rather than force them to. Gymnastics is the perfect activity for many kids, and parents can sign their child up for trampoline and acro dance classes. If you are still struggling to get your child excited for their classes, and the drive to the class feels like a battle, try these easy methods of encouragement.

Find a Friend

Many children are much more willing to enjoy an activity if they have friends already in the class. Talk with the other parents in your child’s friend group to find out if any other child might be interested in taking the gymnastics class with your child. This will allow your child to see the class as more of a social opportunity with their friends rather than an activity they were forced to endure. This is particularly helpful over the summer months when your child is away from friends all day.

Find Incentive

Some children respond well to incentive. Encourage you child to complete a hard trick they’ve been trying to master by offering incentive of some kind. It does not have to be a big gift, just something as small as an ice cream cone that seems enough of a treat to encourage your child to go to class and work hard. This will not only help your child to be excited about the class, but it will also encourage them to work harder at the class, so that they are giving the activity their all, and not just going through the motions to make you happy.

Encourage Them With Clips

Children’s minds are young and impressionable. Sometimes, all it takes is for a mother to encourage their child to give their all to a skill or a passion is to show them someone else who has worked hard and succeeded in the field. There are many successful gymnasts that a child can look to as a role model. Show you child a few clips of Simone Biles competing in the Olympics, or Aly Raisman receiving one of her many medals. This might be an effective way to teach the value of hard work and encourage your child to give their all so that they may someday achieve their dreams as well.

Unfortunately, even after you sign you kids up gymnastics, it might not always be easy to encourage them to go to class and be active. Try these tricks and see if you experience better results.