The Mom Of A Toddler Home Workout

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?