Friday: Exercise

The American Heart Association recommends children get 60 minutes of physical activity DAILY! 

The very creative Marie, over at Make and Takes has a fun Valentines game that gets kids doing exercises, while having fun!  Check out her Heart Healthy Valentines Game.

What we did for exercise this week: 

A good friend invited us to a class at the local college where she teaches the students to be dancing teachers.   The kids had a blast and it was a great way to get some exercise.

Find a free dance class, host a neighborhood dance, or just blast your music and let your kids boogie down. 

Have a great Valentines Weekend.

Here is another helpful post for mothers with toddlers by Emily, The Toddler Expert!

Let them work for exercise, even if they are only half dressed.

One day I was a really bad mom.  It started in the morning, when I got my one-year-old son out of his crib and strapped him in his highchair for breakfast.  He was freed from his highchair only to be buckled into his carseat.  Then into his stroller while I helped at the school, and back in the car again.  The next stop was the grocery store where he rode in the cart.  And home for lunch (back in the highchair) and then to his crib for a nap.  Which means that in FOUR HOURS his feet never even touched the floor. 

As life gets busier, it is so easy to just strap my little ones in and go, go, go.  But kids should be running, dancing, exploring and just being kids.  They don’t deserve to be strapped in like prisoners all day.  When they play well, they sleep better.  They eat better.  And I feel better.

I should have woken mine up a bit earlier to play before the busy day began.  I should have saved the grocery shopping for another day and left some time in between stops for him to run around.  I should have hired a nanny to run all my errands. 

Okay, maybe not the nanny part.  But it would be nice…

Other Posts by Emily

Distraction Makes the Food Go Down

Let Your Kids Win

Feeding Toddlers Christmas Morning

Another post by Toddler expert Emily;

I hope you all have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!  We’ll be back Monday with some great ideas!!! Stay Tuned!!

Other Posts by Emily

Distraction makes the food go down

Let Your Kids Win

LaDonna asked if I would talk about feeding those stubborn but adorable toddlers, but I really couldn’t remember much of our toddler days.  That’s when I turned to toddler expert, dancer, housewife, primary president, neighbor and friend EMILY!  Here is what she wrote for LaDonna and all those having trouble feeding toddlers.

Feeding my children is one of my biggest challenges as a mother.  It would be so easy to toss a few chicken nuggets in the microwave, (I’ve been there), but as my oldest daughter started school this year, I panicked.  I was sending her to a public school full of germy coughs and snotty sneezes; how could I protect her?   Instead of investing in a gas mask; I realized I could fortify her immune system with two things: healthy foods and adequate sleep. 

That was the plan, but my children (ages 1, 2, and 5) don’t always agree with me.  Still, I have a few ideas for feeding babies, toddlers and children that have worked in our family. There is no simple solution for every child, and even when we find one that works, it might only work for a week!   Feeding my two-year-old is the greatest challenge.  She resists me all day long, from getting dressed to getting in the car, and the dinner table is the ultimate war-zone.  I can force her to do most things, but I can’t make her eat.  The best way to convince a two-year-old to do anything is to let them do it their way; let them win on something.  So we let her win: 

“Megan, please eat 100 bites of broccoli.”
“No, I’m two!”
(Here’s where you give in, and let her win.)
“Oooo-kay, I guess you can just take two bites.)
“Megan, PLEASE take a bite of this plate!”
“(giggling) MOMMY, you can’t eat PLATES!”
“Oh, sorry!  I forgot!  Okay, how about peas?  Can people eat peas?  I don’t believe you… show me.  Oooh, you really can eat peas? I think I’ll try some too!”
Outrageous suggestions are the best, because they keep the mood silly.  Let them correct you, let them be smarter than you, (and keep them laughing), and you may just be able to get them to eat.

This was yummy!  Just like they make at fancy Italian restaraunts.   It is totally easy if you purchase some whole wheat rolls or bread. I like to make bread, a lot.  May sound gross, but I really love eating bread dough.  The whole time it’s rising, I keep picking at it.  I usually have to double the recipe so there is enough for baking.  Enough about me and my twisted love for anything doughy.
This is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a shake of pepper. It is sooo tasty as a dip for breads.  My kids liked it, and it’s a good way to get some of that heart healthy olive oil in them.  Serve with any meal. It’s quick, easy (if you buy the bread), fun to dip, and the whole family will love it.