It is argued whether parents should encourage their children to spend most of their time doing physical activities rather than studying. While I largely disagree with such a notion, I also acknowledge that children’s health depends on how often physical activities are done.
One reason why parents may suggest their children to spend more time on physical activities is that mental health can be improved by doing them. Children that spend most of their time studying have problems associated with anxiety levels and well-being. Frequent exercises can help children to unwind and improve focus, which in turn leads to mental health improvement. For example, Korean students have long breaks at school, during which they go outside to do exercises that help them to recharge from studies. Still, most of the school time is spent on studies, making it the priority over physical exercises.
Although physical activities may help to strengthen well-being and reduce stress levels, they are still not worth to spent time on. If children waste most of their time on physical exercises, then it is likely that they will not find a job in the future. With the rapid changes in the world, studying is a crucial factor to succeed in life. Children need to cope with new trends and broaden their knowledge in order to be in demand for future job market. For instance, in China, there is an exam called “Gao kao”, which is crucial to pass after 12th grade. Children from the age of 6 start working hard to achieve the best results on this exam because if not, it is unlikely to have a secure future for them.
In conclusion, despite improving mental health, parents still should not engage their children in physical activities more than in studying. I, to a large degree, support this view because studying requires huge effort that could result in solid future.