My daughter, Currie, woke at 5:45am today so I didn’t run in the morning. Instead we met a friend at a coffee shop then went to a playground. We hit up the tennis courts where Currie proclaimed “I can do a burpee by myself”! It’s funny because I don’t think I talk about burpees often, especially since I know them as “squat thrusts” from high school. Apparently, I’ve brought them up a few times…
She went on to do a pretty good version of a burpee for a 2-year-old.
Then she showed me some more tricks she had up her sleeve, including:
I think I’ve done both of those moves in yoga class!
I want my daughter to have an active lifestyle, but I don’t care if she ever decides to run. I think she’s likely to be a runner because my husband and I both love running, but it’s a decision she will have to make for herself someday. For now, I get a kick out of hearing her proudly say things like “Mommy, I’m a runner!” Or witnessing her amazement with the Olympic gymnastics coverage and saying, “whoa, I want to learn that someday!” when a young lady completes an impressive vault.
I started thinking how words from little mouths explain a lot about ourselves. Things I do around the home really influence Currie. I’m very fitness focused, and it shows through our daughter’s words, actions and interests. I notice my own words and actions more as she grows. I never really counted a plank here or some dips on the park bench as actual exercise until I saw her imitating and realized it really all adds up. I’m not a perfect parent, but I’m glad I can see some positives in my life rubbing off on Currie.
With that said, I finally got my run in the afternoon. We desperately needed groceries and we don’t have a rental car now so I stroller ran the long way to the Trader Joes and packed the bottom of the stroller full of breads and produce then ran the shorter way home. I’m hoping to catch some Olympics coverage tonight!
Do you sneak exercises into your daily life? Any cute stories of toddlers imitating? I love a cute toddler story!
Yesterday, Zachary was doing something weird with his legs while holding onto the porch railing. Then he said “Mommy, I’m stretching my legs.” You are right about them really imitating every single thing! He asked me “Why do you stretch your legs?” I said “To make them feel better.” So he does more stretching, and says “I feel better mommy!”
I took a picture, but I’m not sure how to post it on here
Oh boy, that is too cute Helen! I can’t wait to see him and Currie do their little stretches together.
We will have to take a picture.
Currie is adorable! You are so right–our kids watch what we do more than we even know and it sinks in. My kids are both old enough to do running races and kids triathlons and it has been a ball to “train” with them and watch them. But like you said, it has to come from them, not us.
Nice creative planning for getting in your run, btw. Those days are pretty much behind me, but I remember them well!
Oh my goodness, too cute! My kids are the same way about being active – my four year old regularly begs me to put on my jillian michaels DVD or to go for a run with me when I get home, I love it. They can just go go go. And they love it. I love setting such a healthy example for them, that I don’t care either if they never want to run, I just want them to be active, and I dont have to worry about that one!
That got me thinking… I’ve never done a workout DVD with Currie, other than a mommy/baby yoga thing when she was a tiny baby. I should really get back into that and see what she thinks!
This is something I think about a lot, as a former athlete who’s fallen off the wagon in a big way. How can I balance my own hopes and goals for myself with setting a good example for the kids? What I’ve found is that they are really good little teachers themselves – there’s such joy in movement for them. As I’m typing this, they’re running laps around the dining room table wearing their superhero capes. Laura often unrolls the yoga mat before declaring “The Yoga Cafe’ is open for business!” and then doing some wild moves that involve flinging her feet wildly into the air. I think what you said about the little bits of movement here and there that we wouldn’t count as “official” exercise are, in fact, the most crucial movements we do in our days – they show us and our kids how deeply embedded in daily life movement is.