Shared from Sarah Canney’s Run Far Girl Blog.
Last Saturday our whole family: My husband, my five year old daughter, 2.5 year old son (who rode in the stroller) and I all ran a local 5K. Sophia started asking about the race in January, we ran it together last year and she wanted to do it again; she had even “practiced” on the treadmill. Mark and I exchanged happy glances over Sophia’s head as she jumped, skip, spun and ran through the first quarter mile. And later we took turns encouraging her when we hit the biggest hill of the race at mile two.
Running a 5K with young children can be a bit challenging, but incredibly rewarding all at the same time. Three miles can feel like a long way for little legs, sometimes there can be discouragement but the feeling of crossing the finish line can be a huge confidence builder for a young child. Here are a few tips to help your family get across the line with a great experience:
1. Gauge Your Child’s Ability Honestly (but be ready to be surprised): Last year I ran this same 5k with Sophia and brought the double stroller, in case she needed to rest. She surprised me and only rode a few times and pushed herself when she seemed tired. She’s grown a lot in a year and with our frequent family hikes I knew that three miles of walk/running was well within her reach. If you want to run/walk as a family you need to gauge your child’s ability honestly: push them to do what is beyond their capacity and they will wind up in tears and the experience won’t be fun. Bring the stroller as a back up, or choose a 5K with a course that loops back towards the finish at the halfway point in case you have to bow out of the race early. But at the same time you don’t want to underestimate their ability, take a step back and allow them space to test their capabilities. You just might be surprised.
2. Don’t Over-Do the Encouragement: Kids know. They know when you’re saying “great job” or “you’re doing awesome” just for the sake of saying it. At five Sophia is keenly aware of when she feels successful and when she doesn’t, and if we praise her when she knows she’s not doing her best it doesn’t help. Empty praise can be frustrating and discouraging. In fact this happened on Saturday. She started to walk and I said, “You’re doing great!” and she said “No. I’m not.” and stopped completely and stood on the side of the road for a while. Instead of encouraging through praise, try to point out their accomplishments and let them feel the satisfaction of a job well done. For example after getting to the top of a hill say “Turn around! Look at that! You just came up that hill! How does that feel?” If it’s a big deal to them, make it a big deal. If not keep moving forward and look for the next opportunity when they seem pleased with themselves and their effort.
3. Set Mini-Goals: It took us 52 minutes to run walk our 5K. We were in no hurry, but I knew that Sophia wanted to run more than walk. So we set mini-goals: lets walk to that mailbox and then run to the next. I let her pick the goals and she had fun picking different landmarks along the way. Sometimes Mark would pass us walking with Jack in the stroller and I’d say “Let’s go catch Daddy!” Picking small goals helped her to run and push herself a little even when she was tired.
4. Bring a Playlist of Your Kids Favorite Music: The right song at the right time can put pep in anyone’s step, and it’s no different for a kid. I made a playlist for Saturday’s race that included some of Sophia’s favorites: Katy Perry’s Firework and Roar, Best Day of My Lifeby American Authors and of course Let it Go. Cranking that music on our little portable speaker from the stroller gave us exactly what we needed to finish the last half mile of the 5K.
5. Celebrate But be Sure to be Honest: At the end of the 5K we high-fived and hugged and celebrated the accomplishment, but then Sophia wanted to know if she would get a medal. She’s done a couple kids fun runs where all participants receive a medal, but that’s not the case with a 5K. And she’s at the bottom end of the 10 and under age group so the chances of her getting a medal are pretty slim at this point. I think it’s important to be honest with our kids. The truth is that she didn’t run fast enough to get a medal, and not everyone does. But that doesn’t diminish her accomplishment and if she really does want that medal, when her legs are a bit longer and she is a bit faster it may be within her reach. And that’s what I told her. Be honest with your kids about their chances of getting an award, don’t create false hope, which can be discouraging not just that day but can stick with them into the future. Instead be honest about what it takes to get an award and encourage them to go for it if that’s what they really want.