Maintaining healthy life as parents

akafful

To all of you who are parents, how do you maintain a healthy and active lifestyle while taking care of your family?

SCoil123

You have to make it a priority. It’s important for us as parents to model healthy habits for our kids. My husband and I both workout and eat a relatively healthy 75% of the time so that’s what our kids do too. We all enjoy treats. It’s about lifestyle and balance

bluesheeponahill

In those early days with #1 we were so sleep deprived the idea of cooking was laughable. However, by the time #2 rolled in, we clued up and prepped like the world was ending. But it wasn’t all lasanga, baked etc. we made sure it was healthy and reheatable think thinks like frittata, quiche, curries, etc. winter was the best because we’d prep a slow cooker meal that we could spread over 2 nights. So it was ‘fresh’ but done first thing in morning when we had energy and by the time night rolled around we didn’t have to do a thing but serve it out! And I’d often run the slow cooker through to next night on low heat and it was just as delicious. just make sure there’s decent liquid.

Just prepping and having easy access healthy reheat freezer items made a difference in not getting takeaway. I mean, we don’t stop takeaway but it’s limited to once a fortnight now.

I make sure house is loaded up on fruit and vegs and dairy. If the kids want a snack that can have that.

I bake and freeze healthy muffins the kids adore and defrost for school days so they’re getting something heathy but still not missing out on what other kids have.

Another thing I try follow is meal planning is typically 2 white meats, 1 red meat, 1 fish and 3 vegetarian. That way we cover all the foods source for everyone. It’s not to say we follow this exactly every week. Sometimes
It’s more vegetarian than not, but it’s a similar pattern.

As for the active bit, on Sundays we treat the kids to croissants, oj and toast with jam at a little French cafe. But we must walk there. So kids get a weekend dose of a family walk that is about 1.5 hours round trip.

Otherwise on other days I walk the kids to the local park than drive it. So they’re white exposed to walking. They’re very used to Long distances

The kids are in a good healthy shape!

scribblemoma

I involve her in my workouts ❤️ It can be a pain on my end, since she slows me down a bit, but I really enjoy seeing her get stronger and stronger!

kshama2001

Well, my mom didn't go back to (part time) work until her youngest was 10, so that helped. Yes, money was tight when it was time to pay real estate taxes, her car was a real piece of junk (my father's car was provided by his employer), and vacations consisted of going to my grandparent's, but it sure was nice having her there when we got home from school.

She raised goats for milk and had extensive vegetable gardens, so that kept her active.

slbbw

My parenting life goes in phases. During the difficult phases I hold on for dear life. When those are over I do my best to prioritize my own health and make it clear to my kids with very well chosen language that activity and healthy eating are important parts of life. But I am not able to do this in all seasons of life. I am now past the small child stage and I am hoping I can keep this current streak up for a few years, so it will be harder to go back to my old ways.

gradchica27

SAHM mom to four here. I do all the meal prep and purchasing, so that’s relatively easy to control on a regular basis (obviously holidays, social situations, etc it’s harder as it is for everyone).

One parent specific snafu are the sports practice/lessons/etc nights. Ours are always in the 5:30-7 window. Why??? So that means eating super early or super late (when your kids go to bed bt 7:30-8, getting home to eat at 7:30 is super late). So...plan for it. Have a meal ready at 4:45 and reasonable snacks for the car ride home, pack a sandwich for the car, or know you’re going to eat fast food once a week and work it in (or, you feed them whatever you can plan and have a snack and eat later, which is usually my plan).

As for working out, I have usually gone to a gym with childcare, so that is just part of our day. This year I will be homeschooling my 3 oldest, and the older two will need more one on one time now that they’re older, so I am practicing getting up at 5 and being home by husband’s 6am departure, or splitting my workout bt morning and afternoon/evening. Sometimes it’s a run during soccer practice, you do what you can do.

Making it a family thing is great when you can. We rock climb, run, and bike together. About to start kayaking.

And making healthy food a normal thing is good—my older 3 amaze me with their self control to delay treats or refuse one if they have already had one that day.