Keeping kids active and healthy is a hard job for parents. Just ask Sheryl Hoskins, our General Manager of Communities. She’s an executive on the ACTIVE Network team and we want you to know the folks who are driving our mission to make the world a more active place.
That goal would be no more than a hopeless wish without Hoskins, who leads the effort to customize current and future software and service solutions for camps, churches, classes, government and non-profit organizers. As an MBA graduate and a six-year U.S. Army veteran, Hoskins is up for the challenge.
We spoke with Hoskins, a mother of two, about how she keeps her family active and healthy.
It’s Important to Set a Healthy Example
“I know that my kids will model my behavior, so I make sure that they see me stay active,” Hoskins says. “On the weekends, my kids and I head to the park or the local YMCA and exercise as a family. Our favorite thing to do is find a route or path where I can run while they ride their bikes.
“I want them to have exercise and activity in their life at a young age, so as they grow older it becomes part of their routine and way of life, that is, living a healthy and active lifestyle,” she says.
Make Time to Find Peace in Nature
“For my husband and I, part of that is teaching our kids to find peace being outdoors,” Hoskins says. “Whether it’s a hike or skiing or walking through a forest preserve, I want them to value nature and be kind to their surroundings.”
Joining Teams Instills Life Lessons
“I want my children to learn what it means to be part of a team at a young age because there are so many lessons that they’ll pick up about the importance of teamwork,” Sheryl said.
“With a recent relocation to Dallas, my husband and I made sure to put the kids in activities right away. Both of my kids take Tae Kwon Do now. For the spring, my son just started baseball and my daughter will be taking tennis,” she says. “My husband and I knew that getting them in an activity as part of our transition to a new place would help them make friends and adjust.”
Finding Activities for Kids Shouldn’t Be Hard
“One of the reasons I’m so passionate about ACTIVEkids.com, a website for community organizers to connect with parents looking for kid activities, is because I know how hard it is to rely on word-of-mouth to find activities,” Hoskins says. “I don’t have a lot of time to research and coordinate activities for my kids. Being new to a community, it also takes time to build the ‘mom network,’ so ACTIVEkids.com is a great tool for me. I’m excited to create profiles for my kids and let the site suggest potential activities. I’ve already found some unique summer programs in our area which I know the kids will be excited about.”
The Big Lesson for Kids? Just Try
“The activities that my kids are involved in keep them active. My hope is that it raises their confidence and teaches them life lessons,” Hoskins says. “It’s so important to me that my kids see that they have the ability to do what they set their mind to —whether it’s Tae Kwon Do or steep hikes or advancing their swimming skills.”
What steps are you taking to keep your family active and healthy? Tell us in the comments!
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