It is so fitting that this week’s blogging carnival question for Mamavation is “How do you encourage your children to contribute to your family’s healthy lifestyle?”.
This week my family has reached several of our goals, together. My husband and I have continued engaging the boys in discussions about what is healthy for our bodies. It touches my heart that my 5 year olds now bring up the topic on their own, daily. We have been having the boys help with meal prep at each meal. We talk about each ingredient that goes into our food and where it came from and why it is good for our bodies. Since the boys are helping make the food, they have been more willing to try new things. This is HUGE for my picky eaters. They have actually had turkey sandwiches (after we cut them into cute shapes with cookie cutters), healthy lasagna, chicken and cheese quesadillas with flax seeds, homemade blueberry muffins with flax, and (I can’t believe it) ceasar salad all in a matter of a week. I have kept fresh fruit ready in the fridge all this week so when they tell me they are hungry, which seems to be about every 30-45 minutes lately (growing?), they can help themselves.
At dinner this week, we have been talking as a family about what to plant in our garden. We want to plant vegetables that the boys will want to eat. So we asked them. So far we have agreed on: green beans, bell peppers, Serrano peppers, tomatoes (the type is up for debate), basil, cilantro, strawberries and lettuce (varieties not yet decided). Hoping to add sweet potatoes to that, but so far I’m not winning that debate. The boys helped plant the garden last year and they ate the green beans, I’m hoping for the best again this year. We will be receiving some vegetables from my mom who ordered from a local CSA Farm in our area. She lives alone and is splitting with another family, but she still won’t be able to keep up with the amount of vegetables she will receive.
I will continue challenging the boys, and my husband, with healthy foods. Now I need to move on to exercise. I have been researching more family classes at my local YMCAs but also community programs. Today, we as a family, went to the YMCA for a Family Fitness class and the boys were so excited they were literally running circles in the hall waiting for the class to open. They were all smiles from ear to ear during the class as we ran, jump, skipped, danced and drummed on stabilization balls. Afterwards they begged, not too hard, for all of us to race around the track a few times. It was such a wonderful feeling to be working out as a family. I cannot wait for the snow to melt so we can get out on our bikes and ride for miles and miles, play baseball, learn golf together, and so many other family activities. I vow, with all of you reading as my witnesses, I will get all of us to do at least 60 minutes of exercise a day. My goal, is for us to do it as a family. I will engage my boys by letting them help decide between a list of activities.
For how hard I have struggled the past few weeks with my own motivation, I feel like I have crossed the finish line after all. My race is not over since there is always more. But I found my motivation again this week and my drive to continue leading my family down the path to better health. To the lovely Mamavation Moms of this campaign, I love you all and I couldn’t be more proud of each and every one of you. We have laughed, sweated, and cried along with you. Your journeys are not ending. You have been given very valuable tools and all of you have the strength to continue on even when the campaign is over. You will not be alone, we are still here for each of you, as your Sistas, forever. Mhuh!