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Fri 11 Apr, 2003 10:47 am
Andrew will be eight years old this spring and he's had a complicated life. He hasn't seen his biological father since he was a toddler. His stepfather of six years, an alcoholic, fell off the wagon at increasingly frequent intervals after Andrew's mother was diagnosed with M.S.
He was a nasty drunk and Andrew's mother left him and with Andrew and her three other children moved in with her parents. She is now confined to a wheelchair. One of Andrew's before school, morning chores is microwaving her breakfast and feeding it to her, bite by bite.
Andrew is a big boned kid and has always weighed at the top of the "normal" range for his age and height. Unfortunately in the last year he's gained considerable weight and is now ranked close to obese. He weighs 115 pounds. He should weigh 90-95 pounds.
Andrews brothers are 13 and 17--kind, but not inclined to play manly sports. His Grandfather is 65 and nursing two broken ribs and a torn roter cuff from a fall on the ice. I'm not athletic--and I live 70 miles away.
Can anyone suggest a birthday present that might inspire Andrew to get more exercise without announcing, "Happy Birthday Obese Boy!"
Suggestions would be most welcome.
Hmm, does he like reading about sports? I realize that's not exercise-driven, but it might be inspiring. Sports Illustrated for Kids is extremely well-written.
Jespah--
Good suggestion. Andrew was very successful Pee Wee Wrestler when he was six. On signup night, the coaches looked at the beefy boy (after a series of wispy kids) and flipped a coin to see who would get him.
Unfortunately, no one is available to drive him to practice or to meets.....
Man, wrestling would be perfect. Lots of boys his age love, love, love the stuff on TV and, if they're serious about it, when they get older they get into the Olympic stuff.
Would it be possible for a neighbor or a friend's or teammate's Mom to take him to practices and meets?
Right, what about finding someone to drive him to meets, etc. and pay them? What about his brothers? Maybe they'd do that for you, for gas money?
And Noddy, what a sad story! What a great kid to be so caring of his mom. He will be learning a lot from this childhood. Remember, there are worse things than being beefy. A lot of times kids go through beefy periods and then slim down. De-emphasis is the key.
Since he seems to be a good caretaker, does he have a dog he could walk and play with? Dogs are so great.
I wouldn't worry too much about the kid's weight, but activity is definitely important. Nothing to do with a gift, but the trick might not be so much in finding a sport that he's interested in as one he can have access to. Are there any neighbors his age who are involved in sports (youth soccer, maybe) that you know of? It sounds like the kid might be struggling just to have things to do and people to do them with.
how about a back-yard trampoline? Not cheap, but a smallish one to jump around on might be fun. A skate board? a bicycle?
Poor kid.
How about a basketball and a net to be attached to side of the house/garage? I am sure his grandfather could arrange for a neighbor or someone to attach it for him. That way, while getting exercise practising hoops each day, perhaps he could attract some friends too.
Another fun pressie (although I'm not sure you want to spend this much) is a trampoline. If there is room for it that is. It could be something he uses to wrestle his friends on and before he realizes it he will be fit while having fun. Plus no-one has to drive him anywhere and he can do it anytime he likes. However, I do recommend adult supervision for this one since many people get hurt falling off the trampoline. Maybe this would be something his mother could supervise from her wheelchair? I know she has MS and cannot move around, but can she speak and communicate? It might give her a sense of worth too to be in charge of instructing the children on safety.
Doh! Ms. K. beat me to it!
yes, but good call on the basketball net!
Okay I found this site which combines the two ...
JumpCourt for $269. They could put a net up and play basketball while bouncing around.
The basketball net is a great idea. I was overweight when I was that age and I lost all my weight by shooting hoops all by myself, although I also did a lot of bike riding as well.
How about a scooter? Those things burn a lot more calories than you might think, and don't cost very much any more.
Jespah--
I live 60 miles away and can't co-ordinate transportation. I think when life settles down a bit, his grandparents will be able to manage something.
Piffka--
Unfortunately, the 17 year old brother managed to total "his" car. This kid is also in a bit of a tailspin, but that is another story. There is a family dog--a Golden Retriever who is a bit of a wimp to the world, but exceedingly loving for her family.
Patiodog--
Andrew does take dance lessons--he's the only boy in the class and potential Stage Mothers are already sizing him up as a couples partner. Dancing men of any age are hard to find. Andrew doesn't have the talent of his older brother, also a dancer, but there aren't many 8 year olds that can lift every girl in the class in group numbers.
He's a gregarious kid and once warm weather starts will undoubtedly find neighborhood friends.
Littlek--
I'd be nervous of a trampoline without reliable adult supervision. Both grandparents work full time. I don't think you can supervise vigorous physical activity for that age group from a wheel chair. That particular bit of suburbia is without sidewalks which makes skateboards dangerous. He has a bike.
Heeven--
Good to hear from you. A basketball net is going on the list of possibilities. Unfortunately, the basketball net could be preempted by the older brothers.
I had been thinking of a pedometer and stop watch. (Possibly two pedometers to entice a friend to walk/run/jog/ as well. Does anyone know how much a good pedometer (accurage and sturdy) should cost?
Your suggestions are all most welcome.
I honestly don't think a boy is age will be interested in walking, or jogging. Just my opinion, but I truly think it would be a waste of money on something that will get lost in his closet. Boys at his age might be interested in a small set of weights though. Just a thought.
cjhsa mentioned a scooter which is also a good idea. If the skate board is not a good idea, then I suppose roller blades would be out of the question as well.
How about walkie talkies as a gift? Now I know that's got nothing to do with exercise but it could be turned into a game!
If he gets some friends together to play a treasure hunt or a race (you see all the TV shows of games where teams have to overcome certain obstacles) and get to a finish line? Well kids are imaginative and I am sure he could think up some games to play that involve tracking the competing team or sending instructions to a fellow team-mate if they are doing tasks in a relay-style game. With all this running around and the excitement of a win, he would not feel he is exercising and the fact that he owns these cool walkie talkies means he is always the first picked for the game.
Walkie Talkies can be inexpensive - you should shop around and see what is out there, like this from
Amazon.com
Montana, cjhsa--
Scooters, rollerblades...both dangerous on narrow, winding country roads without sidewalks.
I was considering the pedometer because of Andrew's competitive streak. He likes to compare today and yesterday--he has a cheerful, tidy mind.
I will rethink because of your comments, Montana. Does anyone else have an opinion?
Ok then, how about golf lessons? When I played (and I played alot) I was always thin. You can often find great package rates for lessons and rounds. I recently saw one advertised here (a very expensive place) that included 10 hours of lessons and five 18-hole rounds for $179. A real deal.
The key is to walk and carry your clubs. It can be a real workout, especially on hilly courses.
Heeven--
I'll add walkie-talkies to the list of possibles.
cjhsa--
Golf is awfully expensive, even child-sized clubs cost real money--and requires transportation. I'll keep it in mind if anyone in the family wins the lottery, though.
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