Parents want to know, how long do children stay in the familiarization stage?
The younger they are, the longer. Older children have an easier time making smoother transitions from the familiarization stage to the exploration stage. The bottom line for any stage of development is children will participate when they are ready.
What are children getting familiar with?
Children get familiar with sports by wearing certain clothes, getting in the car and going to sports class, the physical setting of the gym or field, the social setting of large groups of parents and children, sports equipment, a strange man that is new and called coach, new sounds (i.e. the whistle) and dealing with overloaded sensory perceptions—parent yelling, kids screaming, the wind blowing, kids on other fields doing something completely different.
There are certain challenges or behaviors considered normal or abnormal in the familiarization stage.
Difficulty following the directions, becoming easily distracted, remaining too focused on one task or piece of equipment and having physical difficulty performing a task or keeping up with kids slightly older, is normal. Abnormal behaviors are rarely extreme. Most abnormal behaviors include excessive crying, socially acting out, or difficulty playing nicely with others. These are indications that your child might need more sports opportunities. If your child experiences dizziness, repeatedly falls down in a short period of time, shortness of breath or other extreme condition, see a doctor immediately.
Inside the familiarization stage parents should consider the following:
• Parents must encourage, encourage, encourage.
• Parents should allow children time to explore the sports experience inside their own mind. This is foundational in the familiarization stage. If allowed to do so children will work better independently and eventually work collaboratively with other children or the coach.
• Parents should not stereotype children too early as poor listeners, bad at following directions or having difficulty obeying the rules of the game. Do not self-diagnose ADD, ADHD or any other medical condition. Many parents do this to justify their parenting and it puts a lot of pressure on the child as they are trying to wrap their arms around a new experience.
• Parents should give kids time to familiarize themselves with sports. When given the opportunity to adapt, parents will begin seeing their children start to naturally follow the directions, listen better, and focus more willingly.
Copyright © 2007-2010 by Bradley J. Kayden. All Rights Reserved.
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