There’s one very common goal for moms with toddlers in the house – finding time to exercise. That toddler might just be the key to getting your workout done. Who needs a gym membership with a toddler around? All you have to do is the mom of a toddler home workout.

Of course, my kids aren’t toddlers anymore. Teens don’t need to be chased nearly as much, although it can be fun. I still enjoy looking back on those days when my kids were so little.

1. The Toddler Chase

Take the toddler outside. Let him or her get a few steps ahead, then try to catch up.

This works particularly well with really adventurous toddlers. My youngest would gladly get 2-3 houses away from me, in the middle of the street if I let her.

If your toddler isn’t a runner, you can at least get a nice walk. Most toddlers love getting out and about.

2. Sit-ups

Go ahead. Try to do a sit-up with a toddler around. You’ll probably get a toddler on your tummy. Too bad sit-ups don’t work too well that way.

But you can change up the exercise. Stay in the sit-up position, get that toddler on your shins, and start lifting your legs. You will get a workout. Toddlers make great weights.

3. What’s In His/Her Mouth

Be preoccupied for roughly 0.05 seconds. Realize toddler has put something in his or her mouth and is gagging on it. Remove it from the toddler’s tightly closed mouth. Repeat as often as your toddler finds something interesting to put into his or her mouth.

4. The Kitchen Cabinet Clear Out

Let toddler into your kitchen. Let him or her clear out the plastic container cabinet and any other cabinet that they can safely play in.

Put everything back as toddler clears out each cabinet over again when you walk off. Repeat.

Be ready for a headache if your toddler discovers how much fun it is to bang metal pots and pans with other things. This can interrupt your workout or make it more urgent.

And pray they never discover where you keep the flour. Cleaning that up may be more of a workout than any mom of a toddler wants.

5. Computer Keyboard Rescue

Realize toddler has started pounding on your keyboard, starting random programs, and doing things you didn’t realize were possible with just the keyboard.

Whisk toddler away. Spin toddler around in your arms to stop the tears.

To increase the challenge, note that the toddler has a juice box in their hand. This just got messy.

6. Crayon On The Walls Scrub

Leave just one crayon in reach. When you’re expecting company, discover that toddler has drawn all over the walls with the crayon. Start scrubbing, hoping that this was one of the washable crayons, not the regular sort.

Check to see if toddler also chewed the crayon up. You might be scrubbing the carpet too.

Then start wondering if you’ve left any Sharpies in reach. Things could be worse, especially if they use them marker on the couch.

This exercise may also be done with paints, food, or anything else your child can smear on the walls, the floor, pets, computers, or themselves. The makeup scrub is a similar classic.

7. Toddler Catch

Discover just barely in time that your toddler can climb the furniture or stairs… sort of. Catch toddler before he or she hits the ground and really starts screaming. Repeat anywhere from daily to several times an hour until toddler gets bored with climbing, gets good at it or is finally ready for a nap.

You wish baby gates would always help keep your toddler off the stairs, but there comes that day when a gate is not enough to stop your little climber.

8. Liquid Soap Slip-Up

Find out that toddler has used new climbing skills to reach the liquid soap dispenser and has now fingerpainted the entire bathroom floor, walls, cabinet, and counter. Please note that this exercise is best not done in the middle of the night, especially if discovered by accident.

9. Pick Me Up!

Toddler wants to be picked up now! No, down! No, up!

Bonus points if your toddler starts arching his or her back to get away or starts squirming to look at something. Some days it won’t matter whether you’ve picked your child up or put them down; it’s the wrong answer. But the more sore your back is, the more likely it is that they’ll want up.

10. The Suddenly Open Door

Your toddler discovers how to open the front door all by themselves. How fast do you run when you realize your little one has gotten out alone? This is related to The Toddler Chase, but may be more urgent, depending on how quickly you discover the open door.

11. The Toilet Plunge

Work your arms as you try to figure out just what your toddler put down the toilet. Will the plunger clear it, or are you looking at a bill from the plumber?

Pray that this is not related to the next exercise.

12. The Missing Keys Scramble

You have somewhere to be, but your keys are missing. Your toddler was playing with them earlier. Where are they now? Where???

May also be played with your cell phone.

13. The LEGO Hop

One of the most painful exercises. Discover the hard way that your toddler has left their LEGO Duplo blocks on the floor. Try to find your way out of the block minefield without hurting your feet too much. This exercise will be repeated more painfully with regular LEGO blocks as your child gets older.

14. The Naptime Thump

Your toddler should be asleep, but what was that thump in their room? Did he or she learn how to get out of the crib? It’s hard to say which will get you moving faster after the thump – silence or a loud cry.

15. Where’s Your Diaper?

A sudden, horrifying realization has hit… your toddler is no longer wearing a diaper!

No, they aren’t potty trained. They just took the diaper off somewhere. But where? And is that *ALL* they did?

This delightful exercise is a classic of the mom of a toddler home workout. You don’t know how bad it will be until you get a new diaper on your toddler, find the old one, and figure out if there are any other messes as a result. Maybe your little one lets you put a new diaper on easily. Maybe they’ve discovered the delights of pulling it off. Or maybe they… dear god, no! Please let it just be a pee diaper, not a poop one!

All Moms (And Dads) Face The Mom Of A Toddler Home Workout

Don’t feel bad that your kids make you work out like this. It’s all a part of being a parent. A small part of Murphy’s Law. Some toddlers get into lots of mischief and keep their moms and dads running (and cleaning!) harder than others.

A quick video reminder of how funny it can all be when it’s not your kid:

As your toddler keeps you running, remember that these times go by quickly. Don’t think of all the trouble as trouble. See it as one more way you’re being active.

Don’t worry. My kids didn’t pull all of these on me when they were little. But they made enough mischief to keep me moving back then.

What would you add to the mom of a toddler home workout? Are there any special tricks your kids pulled?

The post The Mom Of A Toddler Home Workout appeared first on Home with the Kids Blog.

I’m doing something these days that a lot of us are doing – trying to get back in shape. Despite the timing, it’s not a New Year’s resolution. It’s just that my husband happened to mention that he’d like to join a gym this year, and the gym closest to us had a great sign up deal for the new year. Fitness 19, for those who care, they have locations in various states, and they’re a lower cost gym. That means decent equipment, but no extras such as saunas or swimming pools. At least at my location. I don’t know about others. Only association I have with them is that I’m paying them for my membership.

Getting fit is a lot like making money at home. Just think about it.

There’s Always Somebody Selling Shortcuts (That Usually Don’t Work)

Think about it. How often have you seen ads about people with massive weight loss – just buy our products! In a short time, you’ll look amazing!

We all know that’s B.S. for the average person, yet these products sell and sell.  That’s why they keep making them. It’s not necessarily even a matter of individual determination or effort. Some things just work better for some people than others.

That’s also why the work at home scams keep coming. People always want a shortcut to earning lots of money from home. That’s why so many ads use the image of the big house and fancy cars. And while effort matters, not everyone is going to get the same results even if they follow the plan carefully. Matter of fact, the amazing results in either case are usually extremely atypical.

People Track the Wrong Metrics

When it comes to getting fit, most people track their weight. Weight isn’t necessarily a bad measure of things, but to me it’s not the most important at all. Improving overall fitness, strength and endurance matter more. Weight is simply a number that will probably decrease as those others increase.

For that reason, I plan to weigh myself maybe once a week. I find it far more interesting to see how I can use the equipment longer at more difficult settings. That’s what tells me I’m making progress toward my goals.

People do the same when they have an online business. How many people stress over how much traffic their websites get? Traffic is wonderful, a business needs traffic, but it matters far less than your income, profits and conversion rates. One million visitors to your website means nothing for your business, after all, if you didn’t earn any money. It’s just a number.

An Accountability Partner Can Be Wonderful

Motivation is a huge factor when it comes to getting fit. It’s not easy to stay motivated on your own, however. Having an accountability partner is a big, big help. My husband and I motivate each other, for example. We give each other the nudge to get to the gym several times a week, close to daily (a day off here and there is a good thing). There have been a few times already where one of us has had to remind the other that it’s really time to head out to the gym.

An accountability partner is a big help when you’re earning money from home too. It doesn’t matter whether you have a home based job or your own business. Having someone to give you that nudge to keep working helps. Daily, weekly, whatever suits you for talking to someone else about the progress you’ve made.

It Takes Time to See Results

How well anyone who has ever tried to get into shape should know this one! It takes time to see results. If doing a little exercise and dieting gave quick results to everyone, it would be much easier to stick to it until we got the results we want. But it isn’t quick for most of us. It takes weeks to months to see even small changes, depending on the effort we put into things and our own individual metabolism. You can’t let that get you down.

You should see the results long before anyone else, as you know your own body best. That’s both good and bad, as it feels nice to see the little changes, but it can be frustrating that others don’t recognize how hard you’ve worked.

It takes time to see results with an online business too. It’s not just “build it and they will come” or anything like that. It’s build it, tweak it, market it, keep on working until things start happening, then work on it some more. Lots of people have to wait months for their first sale online.

Most of your results won’t be things other people can see. Certainly, anyone visiting your website can see what you’ve put up there, and they may see any ads you’ve placed, but a casual visitor or even a family member or friend won’t be able to tell when you’re earning good money, that you’re getting better conversions since you changed that bit of text, or even that your website is getting more traffic these days. These are things that are far more apparent to you than to anyone else.

Your Results May Vary

My husband got quite the dirty look from me the other night. He was on the phone with his mother telling her about our new gym membership, and that he has lost six pounds already. We’ve been at this the same amount of time, but I haven’t lost any weight yet. We’re both working really hard in there, but his results show better than mine. Grrr!

Seriously, though, I see my results in other ways, such as being able to work harder and longer on some of the aerobic equipment, but even though I don’t want weight to be my primary metric, it’s hard to hear that he’s getting better results in that area.

If you’re talking to other people who work at home in one way or another, even if they’re in your same industry, you won’t find that you’re getting the same results. Some people get great results much faster than others. You may have to work harder than someone else to get even halfway decent results. Don’t let that get you down. Keep trying.

Beware the Naysayers

Sometimes when you’re trying to get fit, you’ll come across someone who is utterly unsupportive. They’ll tell you that you’ll never keep it up, never reach your goals, and if you do, you’ll probably quit and gain all that weight back anyhow.

Obviously, they aren’t the people to listen to. While it’s true that many people quit, and most regain the weight, you can make the choice to avoid that for yourself as best you can. Even if it happens that way, that doesn’t make them right to tell you to give up at the start. I believe that trying and failing is better than not trying at all.

Naysayers are very common when you want to earn money from home. Job, business, it doesn’t matter. They know it’s all a scam, and you are going to lose big. Some will keep it up even after you’re earning decent money.

The one thing they have right is that you should be careful about scams, because they are out there, and it’s really easy to fall for one. But they’re wrong about it all being a scam. There are legitimate, home based jobs out there. There are legitimate business opportunities to join, and real businesses you can start from your home. You do your due diligence and you’ll probably be fine. Then work your ass off to make it happen. Yes, most businesses do fail, but once again, isn’t trying and failing better than not trying at all? Failure means you’ve learned that something didn’t work for you. Make changes and try again.

It’s a Lifestyle

Whether you’re trying to get fit or want to earn money from home, think of it as a lifestyle change, not a short term thing (unless that’s all you’re after). The longer term you think with either, the more likely you are to succeed. You may have your ups and downs, but if you keep working at it, eventually you’ll know how to make it work for you.

The post Making Money at Home Is a Lot Like Getting Fit appeared first on Home with the Kids Blog.

One common complaint for people who work at home is that it’s really easy to get out of shape. You have your refrigerator right there, and it’s way too easy to sit at your desk or on the couch working on your computer for too many hours each day. You have less excuse to leave the house, and too often that leads to not exercising enough.

Obviously, this weight gain can happen as a result of any sedentary job, whether you work at home or away from it. But if you’re at home, you might just have the flexibility to do something about it.

Take a Walk

Taking a daily walk is a simple way to get some basic exercise in. No special equipment needed, and you can work it into your day relatively easily.

I take a walk when my kids are at school, for example. I often help in my son’s class, but take the long way home. It’s a little over a mile is all, but the steep hill on one side makes it a pretty good workout, especially when pushing a stroller.

The trick with taking a walk is minimizing how you let the weather stop you. What are your limits? Will you walk on rainy days, cold days, hot days, snowy days? It’s all too easy to let seasonal weather stop you for a time, and then fail to pick the habit back up later.

Get Basic Home Workout Equipment

Unless you know you’re going to be serious about using it, I don’t suggest spending thousands of dollars on home fitness equipment. I’ll admit that a treadmill desk sounds really appealing, but that’s more than I’m ready to spend right now.

My husband and I did, however, buy a Total Gym 1100. It provides a nice range of workouts.

Find the equipment that you like to use. If you have or have had in the past a gym membership, you probably know what kind of exercises you like to do. Get any equipment you need to make that possible.

Consider Workout Videos

If it makes it more interesting for you, a workout video is a good choice as well. Sometimes that bit of direction helps you to push through.

Consider a Gym Membership

You don’t have to buy equipment for your home if you’d rather get a gym membership. It’s a great excuse to get out of your house; just make sure you’re actually going to use it. Some of us are more likely to use the gym membership while others are more likely to workout at home. Pick the one that will work for you.

Use Workouts as a Break From Working

A workout is a great break from your work day. You don’t have to do a huge workout each time; even 10 minutes will get you going, especially if you do that a few times a day. Multiple fitness breaks are usually easiest with home fitness equipment, of course.

A workout is a nice way to refresh your mind as well as your body. You aren’t so focused on whatever you’ve been working on, and that can be a very good thing. Many people find their focus improves after a break. You may end up more productive. It’s a nice bonus to feeling more fit.

The post Making Time For Fitness While Working at Home appeared first on Home with the Kids Blog.

Spring is a great time of year to think about your family’s habits and what you can do to keep your kids healthy. The weather is getting better in most areas, and even when it’s bad you can think about what you would like to do as a family to build better habits.

Gardening

Whether you’re in a home or an apartment, gardening can be a fun, healthy habit. If you aren’t into digging in the yard or don’t have one, you can plant herbs and maybe some tomatoes in containers.

Growing your own herbs or other foods can encourage a lot of healthy habits. My kids love to nibble on freshly picked basil leaves and mint leaves, for example. They also add a great flavor to your cooking.

Get Outdoors

Turn off the TV and the computer and play or exercise as a family outdoors. A walk around the block is a wonderful family activity you can do in most areas. Alternatively you can go to a park or play in your own yard together.

Play Indoors

No, not on the computer. Not video games. Well, maybe some of the more active video games; the Wii Fit; does have some good points when you’re trying to be healthy and active.

Then again, you can make room for the kids to dance. Younger kids in particular will love this. A bit of music and some encouragement and they’re off.

Creative play is fun too, especially for the younger children. Help them build a fort. Put on a puppet show. Encourage silliness.

Don’t Forget the Chores

Yeah, no fun and sometimes hard to enforce, but chores are good for the entire family. It helps to keep your home functioning and clean. Even very young children can help. The sooner you get started the more of a habit it will become for everyone.

If you’re having trouble getting anyone to do chores, consider a chore chart or other motivation. My kids love their magnetic chore charts, and we set rewards for accomplishing their chores on a weekly basis. It’s still possible to slip up and start ignoring the charts, but once you have the habit they’re quite helpful. Or you can consider alternatives that work better for your family.

Walk to School

At least where possible. I live within blocks of my daughter’s school, and due to the traffic involved, walking can actually be faster than driving there. It’s just about a 7 minute walk by myself, 10 with kids.

If it’s too far to walk, it may not be too far for riding bicycles with kids who are old enough. Schools in my area only allow that for grade 3 and up. You’ll save gas and get a nice bit of exercise.

Walking to school can also be a great time to have a conversation with your kids. They don’t have to be on any big topics, just whatever comes to mind.

Keeping your family active and cutting back on the TV and computer habits can help you to enjoy your time together more. Certainly there will be times that you need a break from doing things together, but overall it’s a good way to make special time together on a regular basis.

The post Healthy Habits for Your Family appeared first on Home with the Kids Blog.

When you’re home with the kids all day, they get to know all your habits, good and bad. Children are very observant and even if you think you’re pretty sneaky about some of your bad habits, they probably know about them.

Sure, you try some of those foods that you really don’t like but want your children to experience. I do that when it’s something my husband likes but I don’t. It can be challenging at times, and some of my food preferences my kids do know about, but I do the best I can.

And while there are ways you can sneak vegetables into your children’s food, better yet is to teach them how to enjoy them. You may find only a few at first that the kids like to eat, but it’s a start. It doesn’t matter if they only want to eat frozen corn or peas, they’re vegetables and a much better part of a snack or meal than many other foods. If you’re dealing with a picky eater you take what you can get and set the example for something better.

Some of what you can do may be very subtle. Things like using olive oil instead of vegetable oil in cooking so that you’re using a healthier kind of oil when you need it. Young children won’t get it. But as they learn to cook it will be something to talk about.

Being healthy is about more than teaching good eating habits, of course. Healthy eating matters quite a bit, but so does exercise and making other good choices.

In our family, formal exercise isn’t really a priority. However, we’re currently taking daily walks. We found some hiking trails just a couple blocks from our house. The kids enjoy them even more than the local playgrounds. We all come home dusty and a bit tired from these hikes, but we’re all getting exercise just as a matter of routine and the kids are learning about nature.

Now if I could just convince my son that they are “ladybugs” and not “potato bugs!”

The idea is to just make physical activity routine. We set the expectation and try to live up to it ourselves. We don’t do everything we expect of the kids; they’re often sent out to play in the back yard while I work on my computer. They learn to spend time away from any electronic entertainment and I get peace and quiet to work.

Your own bad habits can be a bit of a challenge. I can explain away my computer time because it’s necessary to how I earn a living. But actual bad habits can be more problematic.

Think about any parents you know who smoke. It’s much less common than it used to be; I don’t think any of my close mom friends smoke at all. But if you have a bad habit such as smoking or even biting your nails, children do notice and it’s harder to explain why they shouldn’t.

While it may not stop your child from picking up the habit in question, simply admitting that yes, you have a bad habit can be helpful. You’re being honest and it gives you a chance to explain why it’s a bad habit in an age-appropriate way. Sometimes kids will cheerfully try to get you to stop.

No one is a perfect parent, and I wouldn’t suggest trying to be one. But you can work out ways to set the examples you want to, and try to break out of the old routines that aren’t teaching your kids what you really want them to learn.

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