Working on my fitness has proven to be a near impossible feat with three kids and a baby at home this week. Actually, working on almost anything is a near impossible feat. Basically, my fitness routine has been getting woken up by the too-happy-in-the-morning-to—truly-be-my-child and then waking up the three too-grumpy-in-the-morning-not-to-be-my-children and that's when the cooking –cleaning routine begins. Gotta hand it to any moms with two or more kids at home on a regular basis.
Husband Chad’s kids, my step-kids, have been here for nearly a week. Three kids, two girls (aged 8 and 10) and a boy, 6. They’re on break from school this week, add that to the baby, and it makes for quite the busy day. I do have a mommy confession to make here, I have been letting the TV and DS (portable gaming) do some, ok more than I would like, ok a lot, of the babysitting. I can give you a million and five excuses on why this is, the main one being it is just easier. There I said it, easier!
Their hours of TV and gaming time have made me instill a new rule, Unplugged Time. Every day, for us it’s after lunch, we unplug all the devices; computers, TVs, DSs, basically anything electronic and go for a minimum of a 30 minute walk (weather permitting, which it has been). When we get home, we set the timer on the oven for an hour and a half and everyone, including me, must find something to do that doesn’t involve electronics. You’ll be surprise what you will learn from your kids when you put down the blackberry or iPhone or computer or whatever it is you are using to brainlessly pass the time throughout the day. Every parent knows it can be like pulling teeth to get a kid to open up (ask my mom), so I’m not saying this is the answer, but it can’t hurt. Like the good ole Dr. Phil says, “Once you are able to talk to your kids about anything, you can talk to them about everything.” See TV is good for something. But what he means is, when you can talk to your kids about the everyday mundane things that affect their lives; like their favourite colour, their favourite singer, their favourite dance moves, what they think about cats, dogs and rabbits, the hope is that line of communication and trust is open for when there’s something big to talk about like, sex, drugs and rock & roll. Every parent MUST have the convo with their children on how rock & roll shaped and redefined their lives or as I call it Rolling Stones 101.
I must admit an hour and a half doesn’t sound like enough yet, but it is a start and my intention is they will begin to love unplugged time and participate in it without me telling them to and without the timer on to tell them when they can plug back in. Plus, that 30 minute walk before Unplugged Time may be my only chance to work on my fitness while they are here.
Oh. My. God. Jena....I love you. Seriously. All your posts are so damn true and make people open their eyes to what's going on around them, or at least it makes me open my eyes. I'm going to have to start doing this. I find that we just always have SO FRICKIN much going on in our lives that I don't remember the last time we all went for a walk together, or sat and visited without one of us (yes I include myself because I'm probably worse then they are!) being on some sort of electronic device. I think I'm going to start doing this with the kiddos. What an amazing, yet so simple, idea. When you think about it though, it shouldn't even 'have' to be something we have to consciously set timers for or think about it, it should just already BE happening. Kinda makes me feel sad that I let life get so busy that I have to schedule time with my kids in. :( So thank you....for reminding me that although my life revolves around my kids and their activities, that I need to stop and realize that they need some wind down time just as much as I do.
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