The discussion about video games has turned more positive than it was a decade ago. Where gamers were viewed as idlers and kids were dragged off their couches to go out and play, it is now being accepted as a sport discipline (E-sports) where players as young as fourteen are going pro. And getting well paid too.

That makes it harder to convince kids to play outdoors. Yet it is good for both their mental and physical well-being at all times. So how do parents go about achieving this?

Embrace Their e-Gaming Enthusiasm

Do not create a competition with your kid on this. Once you appreciate their choice, they’ll be more willing to listen to why you are asking them to go play outdoors. Then you can explain the benefits to them in a better setting with better chances of success.

Do It With Them

Kids learn a lot by imitation. Play with them in your yard. Go to actual games and bring them with you. The joy of seeing sports stars in live action is likely to inspire them to replicate the same. If they choose to attend practice, join them and cheer them on.

Engage a Professional

You don’t have to go the expensive way. Rather, you can register them at the local academy, where the coaches have more time and skill to handle them. The presence of playgroups that have kids their own age will make them more interested in participating and performing well.

Make Them Dream!

When you light up a fire in a kid, it can burn to unexpected heights. Let your kid know you think of them as a future star. If you took part in some sport along the way, let them know that they come from a sporting lineage and they are the ones to make it great. Sure, you will throw in some exaggeration there, but which parent doesn’t?