Where do you put your children so you can workout?
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I am the mother of a 1(almost 2) yr old and a 3 yr old. My husband is in the army and gone for weeks at a time. Every day I load the kids up in a double stroller and go for an hour long fast walk. I wear a heart rate monitor to make sure I'm working hard enough. To switch it up- sometime I'll put one kid in a hiking carrier pack and the other in a stroller and do the hour long walk. I weigh, measure and log all my food.
Since the start of this year- I've lost 17 kilograms doing just that.0 -
I just want to encourage you to try some new things and maybe some old that didn't work before but now might! I have daycare plus my 3 boys so I understand it can be a challenge. I put little kids that don't want to get out from under my feet in a playpen and the older kids play with the toys. You could have a special basket of toys that are only brought out when you excercise so they are new and special:) this might help with them staying entertained. Wishing you the best of luck!0
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You are under a lot of stress. But you must take care of yourself, starting now, because the kids will see it, and you will be serving as a role model, starting at a young age. Furthermore, you must do it for yourself first. Do not fall into that trap of so many moms who say they "run after their kids all day, and don't have time to work out." There are 168 hours in a week. Three of those can be used to work out (spread out over several days/week, & intense.)
As someone suggested, try to find someone closeby who you can swap time with so you can have uninterrupted time to work out. I did this when my 2 boys were the same age as yours. I also had a baby jogger/bike trailer, which you can obtain used or ask for one for a present at Xmas, b-day, etc. Honestly, you must invest in your health, & I found ways, so can you. Also naptime around 1-3 PM is non-negotiable (you'll see this is standard practice in pre-school, too.)
In a nutshell, I did these:
-- local gym (yes, I know you said you can't afford it; I used Bally's, & have to mention it as a way)
-- double baby jogger/bike trailer (I've done countless races & runs & bikerides w/ this-- possibly the best gift I ever got)
-- insist on naptime 1-3 PM or so
-- swap w/ a neighbor or friend for just 1 hour 1-2 x /week
I don't recommend evening WOs, but rather morning or naptime time WOs, as that sets the stage for future success.
It's imperative to eat clean, & drink up to a gallon of water/day to keep up your energy.
While you have challenges, there are ways around it, & it must be a priority, for the long run. (My boys are 18 & 21 now, & they see how I make time to work out, and yours will too, as the years go by.)
I sincerely hope this helps!0 -
I admit that I didn't read all the replies but after browsing through them there is one practical suggestion I didn't see that might be helpful. Check with your local YMCA or Park District. The park district sometimes offers child care for Mom's who are taking park district exercise classes that are very inexpensive. Also the YMCA generally has less expensive membership fees than commercial gyms and the ones in my area do not require the kids to have memberships in order to check them into the daycare. Also they will sometimes work with you on the cost based on need. Don't think of it as a luxury. You NEED some time for yourself. You'll be a much more giving Mommy when you take care of you. Also make sure that you're not eating to make of for lost sleep. Based only on my personal experience, chronic sleep deprivation is your worst enemy when trying to get fit. Finally, remember that this too will pass. For better or worse they are only small for a while. When they are in school full time it will be easier to find time for these things and right now that seems like a long time away but it will happen sooner than you think so for now forgive yourself if you can't do all. Just do what you can and don't give up.:flowerforyou:0
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Buy a set of dumbbells..they are pretty cheap at Walmart and get up 15 minutes earlier every day and do 15 minutes of weight training. Weights are magic...you build muscle and with more muscle you'll be better able to be more active.
Buy a $10.00 pedometer from your local drugstore, snap it on securely and each day log how many steps you've taken. Increase your steps every week.
Long before we had DVDs and gyms, we carried things, hauled them, picked them up and we walked.0 -
i lock them under the stairs ..its getting a bit of a tight squeeze now theyre young adults lol
seriously when my kids were little i got them to join in exercising or used them as weights and made it a game singing to them.. you can workout with your kids around or do it when they nap or go to bed at night or get up in the morning waaaaaaay before them and work out. You dont have to put them anywhere!0 -
If you have a YMCA near you, many YMCAs offer financial assistance. We get 50% off our membership and any classes we take. They have a daycare (included in the membership) that my kids love.0
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My daughter goes with me to the gym most days but when I am at home, I either workout before she gets up or after bedtime. Your little ones are going all day on that little sleep at night with no nap? I cringed when I read that....You definitely could do with some mommy time. Have you considered putting them to bed earlier? Or leaving them in their cribs for a bit in the morning while you exercise....All you need is 30 minutes. A snack and a cup of apple juice along with a healthy dose of Dora The Explorer keeps my 3 year old distracted long enough for me to do my thing.
Good Luck :-)0 -
We have seven so wife prefers utilizing straight jacket. Once workout is over she gets the straight jacket.0
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If you're serious about this journey, you will figure it out.
Lots of good ideas have been listed -
I have one daughter - when she was a baby my husband would get her ready for daycare and do the 'morning' routine and I would goto the gym at 5:00 am. In rreturn I did the 'night' routine - I picked her up from daycare and made her dinner. We did this for a few years until I slowly built up my own home gym.
Our daughter was about 5 when I started exclusively working out at home - old enough to understand that she could NOT touch or play with my equipment - and at that point she was in school so I started working out when I got home from work.
My daughter is now almost 16 and she enjoys using my gym too!0 -
I agree with the sleep adjustments. If you and the kids aren't getting enough sleep, you will all be irritable and it is likely interfering with your weight loss.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is drinks. Intake in any form counts. I have a low appetite and use MFP to improve my intake. For several months I hardly ate, but drank sweet tea all day long. It wasn't even sickeningly sweet. I use 1/2 cup sugar to 5 quarts of decaf tea. When I switched to water, I dropped 8 lbs in less than a week.
Now to the original item. I have 3 kids at home; 6, 4, & 2. My "workouts" consist of yard work, gardening, chasing the kids around the yard, and running up and down the stairs to do our laundry or help my mother take care of my dad. My kids have boundaries in the yard they are not allowed to cross. Yes even the 2 yr old knows the boundaries and the other two kids and our dogs help keep track of him. The kids can choose to help me with the chores or play. Either way they are getting exercise and so am I. We do go to the playground occasionally or play dates with neighbors. As previously mentioned, any extra movement will help.0 -
I agree. But honestly a 1 year old NEEDS more sleep. They are behaving the way they are because they are in control. I hate to say this but it sounds like you don't want to be alone so you let them stay up and keep you company. Start putting them to bed 30 mins earlier the first week. They can't tell time so they have no way of knowing that they are going to bed early. Begin a "Night time routine" such as bath, books and bed. Start the process 30 mins before you want them in bed. Then the following week add another 30 mins. Before you know it they will be in bed by 8:00pm and you will be able to rest yourself. Believe it or not once they start sleeping a 10-11 hour night they will also start "resting" during the day. That quiet time becomes your time. Your children will thank you.even if your kids don't do naps, instill a "Quiet Time" every afternoon, from noon to 1 or 1:30, where they have to stay in their rooms, reading, doing puzzles, laying down, or playing a quiet game. Tell them they don't HAVE to sleep, but they DO have to be quiet and not leave the room until Quiet Time is over. There you go. Designated You time every day.0
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Well, you made it a priority to find time to write it. Now make it a priority to find time to workout. You're not going to find a lot of touchy-feely sympathy in these forums, but you will find good, honest, no-sugar-added advice. Here's mine: if you want to find time, do it. You shower, go to the bathroom, and make meals, right? Find another 15-20 minutes to work out.Where did you put them while you wrote your really long post, OP?
It's a post i've been working on for about a week now, which is why it is long and whiny. It contains a week worth of frustration and stress. I managed to post it because it is a rare occasion that my husband took both kids for a drive to visit his parents and I'm enjoying being by myself.
It is easy enough to type on computers whilst holding a child or having a child hanging off you - especially if you do bits at a time - not so easy to effectively work out.
I used to type on computers and play computer games whilst breast feeding - that's not to say I could workout whilst doing it.
Not helping OP by making snarky smug comments about her finding time to be on computer.
Some kids don't nap - especially 3 year olds. Maybe they will be the sort of people who just always survive on less sleep than others.
OP I think your best bet, if you cant organize parent swap time, is to do things with your kids - like pushing them in a stroller (you could take both in a twin stroller or little one in a back pack) at fast pace and do little 10 minute mini workouts at home whilst kids in play pen or high chair.
You might have to let go of the full on gym type workouts for now.
You can still lose weight - of course, as long as you also adjust your intake accordingly
I have 5 kids of my own and am fully aware of the challenges they bring, but thanks for enlightening me. :flowerforyou:
I have 3 kids too.
Having 5 kids does not give you free range to make snarky comments to OP or any one else.0 -
Look into the YMCA. Our YMCA has scholarship and sliding membership fees for lower income members. They also have free child care during exercise classes.0
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I have the same problem, but with only one child who is almost two. I've got extra trouble being that we live in a tiny tiny little one room, so waiting until she goes to bed doesn't work because the noise wakes her up. Super fun. Wish I had a solution for you but I'm in the same boat unfortunately.0
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Get a part time job so you can afford daycare and a gym membership. Go to the gym before or after work while kids are at daycare.
This is a win win because I'm sure your daycare provider will let the kids take naps. Good luck OP! :flowerforyou:
you dont have any kids, do you.
i am in the same situation as OP my husband gone for weeks at a time, i work at home though. day care in my area is 4.00 an hour or more. why give up time with the kids to make money to get away from them for an hour to work out. for a net of 5.00 an hour after day care costs? no thank you. that said i pay for a gym membership with daycare.0 -
you dont need a gym, although i love leaving my son in the kids club while i work out in peace. i pay 20.00 a month for the day care and 19 for my membership. thats at golds gym. but if you really cant, you dont need one. there are a million ways to get exersize without officially working out. a bike with a kid trailer, walks to the park, pushing them in a cart around a shopping mall or big box store for an hour.
but yea, first you need to make them sleep. you need your peace time at night.0 -
When my kids where that age i used to put them in the pram and go for long walks. Sometimes if they hadnt fallen asleep we would stop at the park, win win :-)0
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If you are interested in changing your childrens' sleep habits you can do it over time and don't have to just lock them in a room and let them cry. I found some great tips on adjusting/creating sleep schedules on this site below. I borrowed her book from the library and found the tips helpful. Try making small shifts in their bedtime like 15-30 minutes earlier and overtime you can get them to bed earlier.
http://sleeplady.com/
Ain't nobody got time for that. I started with my kids at 6mos......If you "keep them going from 5AM to 10PM" there's bound to be issues. Sounds like it more of an issue with impacting her schedule than actually trying to get them needed sleep...
Time for what? Good for you for starting a good schedule with your children young but that's not what happens or works for everyone. The website I suggested gives ways to get your children on a better sleep schedule over a week or two. That isn't that long.0 -
I put a cartoon on, put up a baby gate in my workout room, and tell tem to leave mommy alone for 40 minutes. They still come ask for a drink or need a fight broken up but I work it into rest time between sets.
^^ I like this idea. I only work out 3 days, but when I do, I run before lil man wakes, I put on cartoons so I can shower, use breakfast time to distract him so I can finish getting ready for work.0 -
The night time /sleep issue isn't because I don't want to be alone, it's the kids. My 3yo fights bedtime. It's like he's scared he's going to miss something if he goes to sleep. It's been a battle since he was born. With my husband gone so frequently they stick extra close to me. It leaves me with very little/no alone time hence why I asked my question. I guess I didn't frame it correctly judging by some of the responses I recieved. I guess I should have worded it differently. I'm trying to sneak in extra movement though out the day but I'd love some just me work out time. I was just wondering how people do that, but the comments indicate using daycare is the common method, which I can't currently afford.0
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Having 3 kids doesn't make you *my* mother. But again, thank you for your enlightening input.
Well, you made it a priority to find time to write it. Now make it a priority to find time to workout. You're not going to find a lot of touchy-feely sympathy in these forums, but you will find good, honest, no-sugar-added advice. Here's mine: if you want to find time, do it. You shower, go to the bathroom, and make meals, right? Find another 15-20 minutes to work out.Where did you put them while you wrote your really long post, OP?
It's a post i've been working on for about a week now, which is why it is long and whiny. It contains a week worth of frustration and stress. I managed to post it because it is a rare occasion that my husband took both kids for a drive to visit his parents and I'm enjoying being by myself.
It is easy enough to type on computers whilst holding a child or having a child hanging off you - especially if you do bits at a time - not so easy to effectively work out.
I used to type on computers and play computer games whilst breast feeding - that's not to say I could workout whilst doing it.
Not helping OP by making snarky smug comments about her finding time to be on computer.
Some kids don't nap - especially 3 year olds. Maybe they will be the sort of people who just always survive on less sleep than others.
OP I think your best bet, if you cant organize parent swap time, is to do things with your kids - like pushing them in a stroller (you could take both in a twin stroller or little one in a back pack) at fast pace and do little 10 minute mini workouts at home whilst kids in play pen or high chair.
You might have to let go of the full on gym type workouts for now.
You can still lose weight - of course, as long as you also adjust your intake accordingly
I have 5 kids of my own and am fully aware of the challenges they bring, but thanks for enlightening me. :flowerforyou:
I have 3 kids too.
Having 5 kids does not give you free range to make snarky comments to OP or any one else.0 -
I'm a SAHM with a 3 & a 5 year old. I tried to exercise while my kids were napping. It was stressful, b/c I didn't want to be too loud, the kids would wake-up...etc.
I joined a gym with a daycare when my youngest was a year old. It has been the best thing I have EVER done for myself. My gym is only $25 a month. I cut back on my bills (cut back to basic cable, cut back on cell services, cut the house phone) and found the cost of the gym each month. For me, the gym membership at a gym with a daycare is much more important than some of the "extras" we had.0 -
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The absolute best advice you've gotten is to get your kids to sleep more. Like 3-5 hours a day more. If you genuinely feel like this is an impossibility, or don't know where to start, check out this book. Don't just browse and skim. Put the kids to bed, sit down and READ IT, and then put it into action the next day. http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/0449004023
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Arrgh, I can't get my post to quote the above, but I agree with this person. I was just going to suggest this book! It saved my life. I was a brand new mom with twins hanging off of me all hours of the day and no time for myself (could barely shower let alone exercise). After reading this book, I got my twins on a schedule. They would be in bed by 6:30 (and usually slept until 6 a.m.), and they would take a 3 hour nap every day.0 -
Dance party! Crank up some tunes and dance for half an hour! Kids will dance with you - which is where they really seem to want to be - or get bored and do something else. You get some cardio and some appeciation as to how hard it is.
It takes patience to teach kids new roles as you alter yours (from mom to "doing something and you must now wait"). They will eventually get it.
Good luck!0 -
Well I've been working out at home the past two years, my kids were 4 and 2 when I started this. I basically put in rules while i'm doing it, and stick to it if they mess with me. Either they are grounded/time out or a privilege is taken away. It only took a few times before they quite bugging me throughout the workout. I promise you, kids can be pretty good about coming up with things to do when they have to.0
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I didn't read through the other replies so I apologize if i duplicate...
I don't know what your parenting style is, and i hesitate to give parenting advice to people I don't know. I am The Meanest Mom in the ENTIRE World...my kids even made me a badge that says that. I trained my kids even when they were very small to play quietly on a blanket during several times of the day. Usually when I was cooking, so they wouldn't be in harm's way, and perhaps when *I* needed a time out.
Another option is to put them in their room with a baby gate...the little darlings are corralled in their room, allowed to play or what have you, you can hear them, and can come if they really need you, and you have the freedom to move about your living room as needed.
I hesitate to tell you to get up earlier than they do, because it sounds like you are thin on sleep to begin with. And a one year old that doesn't nap... *shudders*...wow! mine napped til they started kindergarten...they would have been uber cranky by the time 10 rolled around...but then mine were in bed by 8 at that age.0 -
I'd chum it up with one of your neighbors that also has kids. You'll be doing each other a huge service having some time away from the kids once in a while.
I know this costs money, but I have heard of people who use nanny share programs. A nanny can be a little pricy but if you are splitting it with 2-3 neighbors it's not so bad.0 -
1 - get up earlier than they do
2 - workout after they go to bed
3 - workout when they are taking their naps
4 - put them in a room with a baby gate and give them some toys to play with
5 - gym with child care facility (it's awesome)0 -
Dance party! Crank up some tunes and dance for half an hour! Kids will dance with you - which is where they really seem to want to be - or get bored and do something else. You get some cardio and some appeciation as to how hard it is.
It takes patience to teach kids new roles as you alter yours (from mom to "doing something and you must now wait"). They will eventually get it.
Good luck!
Good advice. When I am getting overwhelmed with my two I turn on loud music and we act silly :>0
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