Participation in youth sports is down across the board. And the steady decline seems to correlate with the rise of smartphones and other technologies. For many coaches, the concern goes beyond the field, pitch, or pool. They are urging parents to pay careful attention to their kids’ confidence, self-esteem, and body image. After all, sport isn’t just friendly competition, it has immense physical and mental benefits.
In this episode, I am joined by Larissa Mills, founder of iparentgen.com, a parenting website and resource designed to help families balance their use of phones. Our conversation today centers around the often-overlooked value of sport for instilling confidence, improving self-esteem, and developing a healthy body image.
Confidence, self-esteem, and body image
Larissa is a parent, teacher, and athletic coach. Over the past decade, she’s observed and consulted on how smartphones impact behavior in the classroom, the sports arena, and in the development of children and teens. Her mission is to inspire digital wellness. She believes the right kind of coaching, whether at home or in sports, can make all the difference!
In this episode:
- Building confidence. Understand how team sport and individual sports require different mindsets.
- Structure and values. A good coach will always insist on clear boundaries around tech.
- Mantras and positive self-talk. Healthy body image develops over time. Focus is everything.
- Locker room banter. Be aware that girls and boys both feel pressure to look cool in front of peers.
Episode challenge
Are you introducing a new sport to your child this season? Or returning to sport after COVID lockdowns? Talk about it! Put down the devices and have a heart-to-heart about what your child is feeling. Are they nervous? Are they ready to go? Give them your full attention because to them starting a sport is a big deal. Larissa reminds moms and dads to make this a dialogue, not a monologue.
Download our FREE guide
Looking to up your game as a parent? Want to coach your kids to set healthy limits on screens and devices? Use the Quick Guide to Safer Screen Habits. Download your FREE printable here. https://bit.ly/Quick-Guide-to-Safer-Screen-Habits
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More about today’s guest
Larissa Mills the founder of iparentgen.com, a parenting website and resource to help families balance the use of phones. She’s combined her master’s education in behavioral management with experience as an athletic coach, teacher, educational consultant, and parent of three to inform her work. Over the past 10 years, she’s observed and studied the impact of phones on children and teens in the classroom and on the sports field. Larissa also hosts two separate podcasts and runs corporate training in digital wellness.
Links/Resources
iparentgen.com Parenting in the Cell Phone Era
FORTIFY – Is your teen struggling with pornography? Click here to check out Fortify – FREE for youth!
BARK – Want help monitoring your kids’ apps and social media? Click here for a FREE 30-day trial of the Bark App or download it at the app store and use our promo code: MEDIASAVVY
COVENANT EYES – Need great filtering software for your internet and devices? Click here to check out Covenant Eyes.
*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means, at no additional cost to you, Parents Aware/Media Savvy Moms receives a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks for helping to support us in our mission to protect families from the harms of pornography.
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