Park Runs: Children - Why?

You think children used to be put first more than they are today, have you got an example? I think the opposite is true.
Your comment about single parent family's i couldn't disagree more with either.

@Hwi

its fine for kids to have to fit in with adults sometimes.

there will be lots of single parents whose only chance to exercise is to do park run with their kids. Are you saying those parents shouldn’t be able to exercise?

I agree DC shouldn’t be made to run just because their parent enjoys it and wants to. There are fun and more child friendly ways to exercise as OP said, being ‘dragged around’ a park run route would be counterproductive to building healthy habits.

I say this as someone who got dragged on long walks as a young child. It didn’t make me resilient in any positive way.

OP on your side, I appreciate it may mean a change in your routine but can you avoid the route during the run?

Why is parkrun the only thing you can think of to do for free? Go to the exact same park and walk, or play tag, or use one of the many free playgrounds around the place.
Oh but hang on... None of those things enable you the adult to get the run in that YOU want, so you drag your kid around the parkrun because you want to do a full run yourself rather than a more chilled out bit of footy or tag in the park.
Parents who do this are just putting themselves first. Especially the ones insisting on little 5 and 6 year old completing the full adult 5k parkrun, yes there are parents who do this!!

You’re not wrong OP.

There aren't that many ways if you're poor, or time poor. Which clearly you're not if you have 3 spare hours every day for swimming and walking, before you've even ridden your horse.

Probably more people who cannot afford things than you (or I) will ever know.

So no exercise for children unless you can afford to pay for it.

Can't you see that today children are made to fit into an adult picture of what is convenient for adults - children have to adapt, unfortunately, to the whims of their parents. That is where nonsense like 'children are better off with a single parent than in a full family where parents don't love each other' - such rot! (As if a child gives a toss about any love in the family apart from parental love to the child). Many other examples whereby children are not put first. Sometimes it is unavoidable - mums have to go to work for a family to survive, two incomes are needed. But most often children are put second to satisfy their parents' whims - like with this idiotic running.

I tried them, but they are too early for me as I rely on buses. Plus the dogs. On the park run where dogs aren't allowed. The doggers start from a different point and then run at the back and don't go over the finishing line, so technically aren't in the park run.

When I did one with DD2 when she was 8 years old, she was just frustrated by having to stay with slow old mum. She could have run it twice by the time I got round.

Making little kids run 5k is awful, there should be an age limit like when they start at athletics clubs. It's not usually until 8 or older that they start distance running.

Parents with little kids should stick to junior park runs.

How are they self absorbed?

I'm a runner and I generally don't do park runs because they start too early and I need longer distances but I think they are a great idea for a team activity.

I get that a ton of people together take up a lot of space but it's over in an hour and it's only a small section on the whole.

My 9 year old wanted to do the junior park run and probably would have moaned during said run but if it's his idea he does it. He has since scrapped the idea after finding out it starts at 9am though! We are not morning people!

Btw with park run the whole idea is to challenge yourself and measure your success against your own personal best times.

So when you get your results, the most important page to look at is your own page so you can see your progress.

It's genuinely a lovely, free, inclusive event run by volunteers and we are so lucky to have the option of junior park run at the weekend as many sports are expensive to access or require specialist equipment - with this, anyone can do it and is encouraged to give it a go! You do not have to be mega fit or the very fastest. You can walk as well as run. It is genuinely inclusive and a really great way to get some exercise.

This is exactly right and what we are trying to tell my DSD! She loves her PR but starts off like a greyhound out the traps and is dying by the half way mark! The kids the OP is on about are probably similar and started off enthusiastic!

He's rarely the fastest at that.

I’ve Marshalled at a junior Parkrun and whilst most kids loved it, it did upset me to see parents forcing along crying and upset little kids. If your little kid isn’t liking it, let them stop. All you are doing them is teaching them to hate running. Just because running is your thing, doesn’t mean it’s their thing.

It's similar to parents who force their kids into football camps when they hate it, just because they like the idea of having a child who plays football. I think kids should be encouraged into exercise and the outdoors but do agree it should be something they enjoy or at least can relate to. I don't feel like running a 2k race is enjoyable for most young children 4-10. It's a solitary, repetitive sport (particularly when it's a laps race) and even most adults need music or strava times to spice it up (I'm a keen runner) - so understandable kids don't enjoy it. Particularly when it's the only time they do run!

But that would require the parents to participate in other activities or be willing to sacrifice a park run to attend something their child might like. And it's always easier to hope your child will eventually like it if you force it long enough, than experiment with something else.

My oldest did park run from about age 5 to 8. He loved it and he got really fit and was able to see his times improving which was amazing! My younger wasn't so keen at 4 or 5, but we liked him to walk a bit of it with his dad for some fresh air and we all got ice cream afterwards as a treat on sunny days!

I don't agree with 'dragging kids along' of course of your child hates it they shouldn't be doing it. But when we went most children loved it! or at least liked the walk around with their parent in the fresh air!

We sadly stopped when COVID hit and haven't gone back :(

YABVU
Parkrun is free and to lots of kids is a a community they are part of like gym or dance or football. It gives out wrist bands and certificates to celebrate achievements which kids can if they chose take into school. Kids do not have to run and can just walk at the back and chat to the tail walker (or not). It's also inclusive especially to older kids who often get excluded from teams and activities as they get older if they aren't very good. As they get older some also volunteer.

Yep some parents aren't nice but they will be the same at gym, football, trampolining etc.
You could just avoid the area for an hour.

I never enjoyed 'organised' exercise. Still don't. Years of being forced to do cross country in the freezing cold at school can have that effect.

But the sad thing is that, now, things like parkrun are all many children have. I was incredibly fortunate to grow up in very rural Devon at a time when parents still pretty much opened the door in the morning and said, 'be back for tea'.

Not many kids today have that luxury. They aren't getting all their exercise just by being kids. Increasingly, we have to organise it now. It's a shame, but that's the way it is. I'd far rather see kids keeping fit just by charging about being kids like I used to do, but increasingly there isn't anywhere for them to do that.

Ive seen kids dragged along crying. The thing that annoys me isvthe parkrun organisers would be perfectly happy for children to walk the course in that situation rather than run it (which would still be lovely beneficial exercise for the child) - its absolutely the parents trying to force them to run even though they are out of breath and struggling.

If you had run for a bit, started to struggle and needed to slow down, and someone grabbed your hand and pulled you forcing you to keep running even though your chest was hurting etc how would you feel about it.

Its abusive.

One thing expecting healthy kids to walk it, its only 2k, but it should be their choice to run bits of it or not.

7 minutes! 😮

Yes. I never had a break from my dc's. Big and junior parkrun kept me sane when they were younger. It's paid off in the long term.

Fwiw, I'm a runner but I never really enjoy running. But it's more fun than my IBS flaring up. I'd not enjoy a heart attack or weight gain either so I put my trainers on and head out twice a week.