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Editorial: It takes a village to keep kids active

Coquitlam is dedicating more resources to youth recreation — and it's needed
Skating
Coquitlam intends to dedicate more resources to planning for recreation for children and youth after a survey showed their need for more flexible, low-cost programs.

Parents with children and teens might find it a bit of a challenge to reinforce routines in the first week of the back-to-school schedule.

After a relaxed summer, some kids want to stay up late and then smuggle their cellphones to bed to find out what their friends are doing.

What is to be done?

Adults who work with youth are finding that their young charges aren’t sleeping as much and aren’t playing outdoors, and their participation in recreational activities is usually confined to organized sports, which don't appeal to all youth.

Other research has found that youth who are also physically active sleep better, do better at school and have generally a better quality of life.

In fact, it may be that finding ways to encourage youth to participate in active programs may help with their routines, sleep and general health and wellbeing.

The city of Coquitlam is looking into this issue right now.

It recently surveyed 1,000 youths and young adults and found the kids want more flexible, low-commitment activities.

“Increasing awareness of the importance of life balance is the first goal in the youth strategy,” said a recent city staff report. “The research and consultation confirmed that many youth are finding it difficult to achieve balance in their lives, lacking the recommended levels of sleep, exercise and other wellness activities.”

In its survey, the city found that barriers such as cost, access and awareness of recreation opportunities were key factors in limiting youth participation. To try to address these issues, the city is going to shift resources to re-establish a dedicated youth services section in its parks and recreation department. The resources would be used to lead and plan youth programming, said a report to council, which laid out a plan for presenting the strategy to schools and community groups this fall.

Of course, this strategy will take time, energy and resources to fully roll out and doesn’t immediately help parents reinforce their back-to-school routines.

But just knowing that Coquitlam is looking into the issue should give parents comfort as they deal with the day-to-day struggles of providing the best foundation for their children's physical and mental health.