Boxing or Rollerblades – please, tick the right box

I wouldn’t say I am a strong swimmer, but I go to a pool regularly. I don’t have a set schedule and coming at a different times I often find myself in a company of similar amateurs who enjoy their regular swim as much as I do. But on some days I see swimming lessons for groups of kids 3 to 6 years old. And I’ve noticed that, while the coach is busy teaching the kids to swim, parents are just as busy sitting around the pool and doing their own things: reading a book, discussing some business on the phone, studying or just looking through social media on their mobiles. None of them considers getting in the water.
Every time I see this scene, the question comes up – why is that? It’s not likely that they all can’t swim.
Maybe this is about my memories of me and my mum sharing all the fun when we were swimming and fooling around in the water together. At those moments she completely belonged to me (not to my brother or my dad, or her top management position or friends). She was carefree and childish. It stopped at some point, but these moments are still some of the happiest of my life.

And this led me to the next question – at what point do we, adults, stop being interested, curious, enthusiastic? When did we look at our children’s games and sport and decide: “it’s not for me”? When did sitting on the bench become more attractive than rough and tumble play with your child?

These are not idle philosophical questions. Scientific research shows that physical activity is an antidote against work stress and mental fatigue. And if you add a bit of risk to this activity, it dramatically improves your physical state. Your whole body stirs up like pieces of glass in a kaleidoscope – the old picture disappears forever, and the same elements form something completely new. Your mind gets revived and your whole body gets a ‘reload’. Then you can start your next task refreshed and invigorated.
Let me ease your mind – the risk doesn’t have to be extreme. You don’t have to drive at 180 km/h on a highway or bungy jump from a cliff. Some people enjoy that, but I am a very cautious person. I love seeing at the end of a movie: “no animals or people were hurt during the making of this film :). So, where can I find something like that? For me, it is something I’ve never done before. Every new activity has an element of risk. If you have never rollerskated, I bet the first time you do it, you will feel a big kick of adrenaline (even if you wear all the proper protective gear). And what about rock climbing? Even in the climbing gym, even with an instructor and belaying gear, even at 1.5meter height – I promise you, the first climb will be unforgettable.
Now, getting back to our conversation about children, we can look at the activities they are engaged in. What can they teach us? What can we learn from them? Say that your boys attend a martial arts class or are on a basketball team. You will be impressed by the enthusiasm with which they show you the basics of their favourite sport. It’s possible that you will collect a couple of bruises and bumps during the lesson. Although, being an adult, you can always start with safety rules. In return, you are guaranteed to encounter fresh sensations and emotions as well as new experiences! And perhaps, you receive an extra bonus – the feeling of closeness with your kid.
So, would you take a risk to experiment?

BTW, we really liked the photo, we used for this post. We wanted to find a picture of a woman actively playing sport together with her kids, but we couldn’t find any. Curious, isn’t it?

So, if you have any photos, we would be happy to put them in our post as well. It would be great to see a mum having as much fun while capering and playing sport with her kids.