[color=pink]Hi all!!  With the growing MTM community, I’d like to strike up a conversation about motherhood and fitness.  I think all too often that as a mom, we think the kids (followed by hubby....) are the priority.  I know that there were days early on that I felt good if I brushed my teeth by lunch time!!!  If you could give one bit of advice to those on here juggling children, husbands/significant others, and working even a bit of advice on how to care for themselves and when to find time to do it, that would be awesome!!!!  [/color]

I think this thread is a great idea!  I guess the one thing that works the best for me - Don’t try to change other people - just plan around their schedules.  I usually know in advance what is going on, and know when I can plan on some time to concentrate on myself.  (Not let life get in the way!) I used to try to manipulate other’s schedule to make mine easier - I learned that in the long run, it is easier to work around theirs!

I agree with Jen in Nebraska- work around others, but make yourself a priority.

Another piece of advice: utilize the daycare provider/friend/someone who will watch the kids for at least an hour a day, go to the gym/workout, then pick the kid/s up and go to the park and join in the fun!  My daughter (a 3yo, but who is already a “gym rat"-oops!) loves to “workout” too but can be more of a distraction, however she loves to go to the park after I get done with my workout.

One of my clients uses me as her “excuse"- she’s got to find someone to watch the kids, because she’s got an appointment! (In other words, get a personal trainer and then utilize the personal trainer excuse)

Julie,
OK if husbands join in this conversation too!!!  One of the things I try to do for my wife is to encourage her to have some time for her.  I will volunteer to take our daugher and play with her so my wife can have some time to herself.  I have encouraged her to attend her bunco league when she started telling me she would feel guilty about doing that.  I told her that she needed to have some fun time too!!  She wanted to attend hand bells at church so I make a point to get home from work early to help her so she can attend that.  Hope this perspective from a husband and father helps this thread out!! Enjoy.

Scooby

Great thread, guys!  I’m not a mommy, and don’t plan on being one for a while, but I just thought I’d pop in and offer my support.

I know when I was little, my mom would take my brother and I to the gym (Nautilus, I believe it was).  She’d do a group fitness class while my brother and I would play in the daycare.  Then, afterwards, we’d all go to the pool!  It was great!  I always looked forward to going to “the pool.” Little did I know it was my mom’s workout time!

Cheers.
Julie

My mom worked out back in the 50’s and 60’s before it was the “In” thing to do.  Especially in the summer, it was always a treat for me to go to the pool, to learn to swim and to establish an exercise habit with my mom years and years and years ago (wait a minute, too many years there).  All you moms are being a great roll model for your kids, so make sure you can take some time to get your own workouts in, but also use the opportunity to teach your kids about the joy of exercise.