How can I ensure my child values coordination as much as academics?
Parenting Perspective
Many children naturally see academics as the primary measure of success, since school reports and grades are constantly highlighted. Physical skills like coordination often feel secondary, even though they are just as vital for long-term confidence and independence. Parents can help their child understand that coordination is not separate from learning, but a different kind of intelligence that shapes how they thrive in daily life.
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Showing the Real-Life Link
Children learn best when they see relevance. Point out how coordination helps with simple, everyday tasks: carrying a tray, climbing stairs safely, or catching a ball when playing with friends. Each small example demonstrates that these skills matter beyond the sports field, preparing them for the practical demands of adulthood.
Balancing Praise Across Areas
When children receive constant praise for academic achievement but little recognition for movement, they naturally prioritise one over the other. Intentionally balance your words: celebrate their ability to concentrate in studies, but also highlight progress in coordination. A simple phrase like, “I noticed how smoothly you caught that ball today that shows practice is working,” reinforces equal value.
Creating Shared Meaning
Link coordination with qualities your child already values in academics: focus, persistence, and memory. For example, you might say, “Just like solving a maths problem takes practice, learning how to move your body smoothly also trains your brain.” This makes physical skills feel part of the same journey of learning, not a distraction from it.
Keeping School Pressures in Perspective
Children may see academics as high stakes because teachers and family talk about examinations and futures. Parents can gently remind them that health and physical ability are also crucial components of success. You could say, “Strong grades are important, but a strong body is what helps you use those grades in real life.” By setting this balance early, you protect them from seeing education as solely desk-bound.
Spiritual Insight
Islam teaches us that all abilities of the human being are blessings from Allah Almighty, and nurturing them is an act of gratitude. Mental strength and physical coordination are both gifts, and giving value to one without the other overlooks the wholeness of how Allah Almighty created us.
Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Qasas (28), Verse 77:
‘But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you…’
This verse shows the balance believers are asked to maintain: striving for a higher purpose while also honouring the worldly blessings we have been given. For children, valuing coordination alongside academics is part of this balance one strengthens the mind, the other strengthens the body.
It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 79, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
‘A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, while there is good in both.’
This Hadith highlights that strength, including physical strength, is a quality beloved to Allah Almighty. Parents can share this with their child to remind them that coordination and body skills are not trivial, but honoured in faith.
When parents value both academics and coordination equally, children learn that success is not one-dimensional. It is a balanced growth of mind, body, and spirit. With this understanding, they can approach life with fuller confidence, knowing that every skill they practise is part of becoming the best version of themselves.
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