Having completed Couch to 5k myself and being totally thrilled with it, I persuaded my daughter she should do it in order to improve her health. She is slim, does some active stuff with Scouts and dances once a week but spends almost all her free time staring at her phone or the computer unless I'm there to police it.
My husband even bet her £10 she couldn't complete it. We have just completed Week 4 but it has become a right drag for me. She thinks of all sorts of excuses not to run on particular days and over-exaggerates the slightest headache or ailment (she has always been like that). A twisted ankle took a week to recover from even though she was able to do all other activities.
Yesterday evening we had melt down because I told her she had to wear a running light for safety. Halfway round she started crying because her hands were cold (she had declined to wear gloves). She has new running shoes and plenty of leggings, tops, etc.
I remind her constantly we are doing this for her benefit not mine and she says she wants to continue but it is trying my patience.
She won't look at this forum for encouragement (not cool enough).
Has anyone else been able to manage a teenager through this plan? I'd welcome some Top Tips!
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Langley-Loper
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Have u tried walk/running park runs with your daughter? Theres alot of young teens at the one i go to. Seeing her times improve each week might get her interested
My son once went to the park with me but didn't want to be seen alive running along with a Grey Hound (me). He picked another route and we met up later by the car. To be honest, being seen running with your dad would kill your street cred in an instant. He is 14, give adolescent a break, come on
And yes, he spends his free time staring at his tech gear as well. To his credit he trains 5 days a week as a competitive swimmer and does another two lifting weights so perhaps you can engage your daughter to do other forms of cardio, such as swimming or cycling, even tennis!
I sold him swimming as a sure way to a 'six-pack' when he was a boy, and it worked
Does swimming really slim down the abs and mid section? My son is 14 and is at least 5'5" if not taller. I keep telling him he has slimed down so much since he grew taller. Now his is upset be cause he cannot see it and he wants to slim his stomach area. Any thoughts would help!
It does if you train hard all week, as my boy does. He's now 16, 6'1' and almost ripped but some of his training sessions are simply brutal. And his diet is also controlled, no fizz, no junk, very little sweets.
If she’s fairly active anyway I wouldn’t worry. Is she just saying she wants to run to please you? Park run is good suggestion.
I suggested junior park run for my 10yr old gdaughter but she said no way (I know she’d love it once she did it). As she does 4 hours gymnastics a week I didn’t push it but will maybe ask her again in spring.
My nephew has his 7 year old son running in junior Parkrun for the last 9 months and he loves it and doing very well getting wristbands for doing a certain amount of runs. He also does Saturday Parkrun sometimes but this clashes with his football training, anyway, on Saturday he ran Parkrun with his dad and got round in just over 28 mins, I'm so proud of him! I would have to buy him a cake in the park cafe afterwards which I don't mind occasionally as he burns the calories off.
Oh, and he has also previously done a tennis academy at school as well..😊
Maybe she'll be more inclined to do it at certain times of the day as part of a routine? All I ever wanted to do when I got back from school was chill out after a stressful day, but exercising in the morning always came naturally to me. Might just be finding a right time of day/week that suits her more.
When we find a new passion in life we always want our loved ones to try it too as we want them to feel the same joy as we do. However, and I know it is disappointing, but maybe she just doesn't like running.
It sounds like what started as a really positive, shared experience is becoming a chore for you both. Maybe give it a week’s break or ask her when she’d like to go for a run - I’m not sure there’s much benefit in relentlessly slogging on if it’s miserable for both of you.
Want mine to do it with me too - can’t even get her to start so anything I can try would be useful!!
She's slim and she's active. Are you sure she needs to run? If she wants to, fine. But if you want her to spend less time on her computer let her decide what alternative activity she wants to do. Maybe if you stop pushing she will decide that is running. Maybe, like me, she will take another 40 years to decide running is a good thing. Maybe she will never run. If she's fit and active it doesn't matter.
I'm on my third adolescent (OMG) and I would suggest leaving her be! At that age,she is beginning to become her own person. Her peers are increasingly important to her and there is a natural tendency to be in opposition with parents. As with toddlers, being in direct conflict will lead her to dig her heels in and leave you feeling resentful and frustrated. This is likely to lead to bloody battles, and no one can win those! I would continue to encourage the activities that she does already and help her to spend sporty time with other young people of her own age- so that she grows up to know that sports are cool. Also, you are still her role model so you are demonstrating to her that women do run. As she grows older she will be proud of you and may start to emulate her wonderful, fit mother
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Oh yes, important to avoid her digging her heels in. This has reminded me that when I was 15 I decided to become a vegan. My mother made the mistake of saying "you won't last 2weeks". Had she not said that I doubt it would have lasted 2 weeks, but once she did I had to show her. I was vegan over 10 years!
OK I will be completely honest. When I started C25k I bribed my 11 year old to come with me on a run as I couldn't leave him home alone. He then did the rest with me ( as I continued to bribe...), then we started Parkrun... he loved it!! He has a very strong competitive streak and he just took to it and no more bribes but new shoes and kit etc. He trained for a HM marathon with me and ran that distance age 12. Now he is 16, and he come on runs etc with me which is always a treat. He is more into cycling now and we go to the gym together too. I was lucky that he took to it, I also did it with my daughter who is now almost 13 and it wasnt for her. I have to say if she doesnt like it or want to you, its unlikely that she will change? Perhaps suggest joining a gym as that is more cool at that age??
Trying to badger teens and preteens into exercise is, in my experience, counter productive. You can lead by example and let the come to it of their own volition but that's about it.
I would agree with previous posters: if she is slim and active, why exacty do you feel she has to run?
I’m the other way I have three teenage daughters and a pre teen son and tbh I don’t want any of them coming running with me, that is my ‘me’ time it’s something I’m doing for me. I’m not worried about them being active they each do their own activities so if they want to unwind and relax in front of the tv or computer that’s fine. If she is active through her dancing and scouts I really wouldn’t worry about her being anymore active if she is making excuses about not going then don’t force it find a different activity that you can do together that you both equally enjoy x
The reason I want her to run is because compared to my generation she is so inactive. Apart from scouts, dancing and minimal PE at school she does nothing. I was always out and about at her age, riding my bike, going down the park... We are always being told kids today don't spend enough time outside. Despite being slim she is not fit. Have tried encouraging other activities but she doesn't stick at any. She was horrified at the thought of a Park run!
I've decided to leave the ball in her court now and wait for her to come to me for the next run, which I will then prioritise over my own runs. Maybe if we get sunshine at the weekend it will encourage her.
So i took advice on here and basically ignored her and waited for her to tell me when she wanted to run. It has worked and we should be doing run 3 week 5 tomorrow, the 20 minuter....
Glad she seems to be taking the initiative now.... but ...
( having brought up 3 kids) - I would suggest NOT making this a battle. There are plenty of things that parents do have to chase, - running is not one of them. Give her opportunities and see what she has a passion for. 😃
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W9R3 Jonut GRADUATE! A tale of two ladies.... (Please read if you are new to Couch to 5K)
Week 1, run 1 - with my 12 year old
Aim to run for a charity
Two PBs in one morning!
Junior Parkrun 2km -19:10- My 4 year old daughter knocked off almost 2 mins off PB!
10km -49:56- HM training & PB!
Week 1 run 1
