Mom's and Dad's looking for support

moosiemom wrote: »

Mom of a 2 1/2 year old. Just one kid, and I already can't keep up with him. Dunno how you guys do it. I work full time too, so between work and household chores, I'm left with very little time for exercise. Heck, I'm left with very little time for sleep. But to squeeze in some exercise, I walk around the block during lunch breaks, and ujam classes twice a week. And lately, with better weather, I get to walk with the family after dinner too. :-) Family time and exercise (it's the best kind.) I just started MFP 23 days ago --- and I'm loving this community. Hope to meet more friends.

Shreshy wrote: »

I'm not a mom and sometimes I really fear being one but I know someday I will have kids soo...any advice?

Spaniel5 wrote: »

k_nelson_24 wrote: »

Shreshy wrote: »

I'm not a mom and sometimes I really fear being one but I know someday I will have kids soo...any advice?

You will never feel like you are 100% ready to have babies but it will be one of the BIGGEST blessings of your life! It is hard work taking care of a little life, but they will improve your world tremendously. My life is so much more happy and fulfilled! And to be honest, she makes it easier for me to make healthier choices. If I take better care of myself, I can take better care of her in return.

Parenthood is nothing to fear. It's hard, but so rewarding!

Wait till the teenaged years!! :-)

MikePXstream wrote: »

Good morning everyone. One of the most common concerns I hear across the board is "I don't know how you find the time to exercise" or "I don't know how you find the time to meal prep and eat healthier." You have to have a plan, a strategy to line out what you are going to do for the day or the week. And, just as equally important, you have to share this plan with your family, so that they understand and are on board with your decisions.

I'm sure there are people out there way more busier than I that get it done, and some not as much, but if you have a plan, then you are a step ahead of the game. To give you and idea....

Married, 3 kids, 13, 11, and 6. My wife and I both work full time. She is a school psychologist, so she is on break right now, but during the school year, she is maxed out. My days start at 0700. I exercise for 45-60 minutes, spend about 15 minutes on personal development, eat breakfast, spend about an hour or so checking in with my different support groups I host, then spend the rest of the morning with my wife and kids. At 1:00 pm, I am getting ready for work and out the door by 1:45 for my hour commute. I work from 3:00 - 11:00pm, home by 12:15 on average, and in bed by about 1:00am.

Sunday afternoons I reserve for a little meal prep for the week, to at least have healthy dinners while I am at work. Since I sit behind a desk all evening, I don't want to fill up on poor food choices, as that would be counter productive to my goals. Intertwined with all of this, my kids have gymnastics, track, and soccer that we shuttle them around to, and my wife and I are assistant coaches for the junior runners of the local running team. I take car of the morning shift driving the kids around while my wife takes care of the evenings. So, if we can get all of this done, and still have time to exercise and eat right, than so can everyone else.

But, you have to have a plan. My suggestion, write down everything you have to get done in a day. jot down how long each task will take, then look at a calendar, and mark out the times to do it. Make it a daily plan, and you are good to go. One little caveat. You may have to sacrifice something if you truly want to change your life and achieve your goals. I maybe watch 2-3 hours of tv total a week. I haven't touched my Playstation in months. When I am satisfied with achieving my goals, then I will consider reintroducing those into my life. But right now, they are not a priority.