exercise and babysitting. How to deal with it?

borichfan · June 2012

I work for the school system, so i am out of work for the summer till school starts back in late August. I just got word that i am going to be babysitting my 2 grandkids most days thru the week for the rest of the summer. I am desperate to exercise, eat right & lose weight as i am 80 lbs. overweight. I used to exercise alot, but quit working out the past 2 years. Now i want to get fit again, and workout & lose this weight. I have lots of workout dvd's and an Elliptical machine.
I like to exercise in the mornings around 8:00 in the mornings. I want to do my cardio first then weight training or strength training. It will take me a good hour to an hour and 15 minutes to workout like i want to.
My 2 grandkids loves to go out to play alot, but they are too young to go outdoors by them selves, i live close to the road too, and have a swimming pool so we don't like to let them go outdoors without an adult.
I will start keeping my grandkids on Monday of next week, and i am a little worried that i will not be able to take care of myself, like focusing on my diet and taking the time to exercise because i know my grandkids will be bugging me to take them out to play, when i will be needing to exercise and stuff.
I don't want my grandkids to be bored at my house, but on another note, i don't want them to prevent me from exercising and focusing on my diet.
I have been keeping one of my grandchildren some already but by himself, he is ok, but when you get him and his sister together, they get a little long-headed and stubbornly wants to go outdoors.
I know they will be wanting to go swimming everyday, so my plans are to tell them when they get here in the mornings to play quietly and not be fighting or arguing till i get my exercising done, and our lunch prepared, and then and only then will we be able to go outside. Anybody have any suggestions?

PunkRockPryncess · June 2012

Have them work out with you! i have a 5 year old and a 2 year old and they think it is the funnyest thing ever to see me bend and twist and jump. It's actually GOOD for them the see an adult they look up to exercising. Do something up beat to keep them interested.

jagwab · June 2012

Can you get up any earlier to have uninterrupted workout time?

ishallnotwant · June 2012

How old are your grandkids?

ellenxmariex3 · June 2012

I am a caregiver four days a week for a mentally handicapped adult - he's my brother but the state pays me so it's a real job haha. The best thing I've found is to exercise with him. We go for a lot of walks and hikes together. Sometimes I'm able to distract him with something so that I can run on the treadmill at his house but that's rare.

How old are your grandkids? I work for another program (that I take my brother to) where I babysit 3-5 year olds. I took them to the playground today and it was a great workout. I had to hold all of them up for the monkeybars (lifting!) and run around with them. They were entertained and I was burning calories. Could you try that?

mkbledsoe · June 2012

take the kids to the pool. Swimming is an awesome exercise. You and the kids can also go for walks together.

Lleldiranne · June 2012

If you cannot get up and exercise before they get there, give them something to do for your exercise time. Let them join you (my kids love that), or give them some toys to play with. You can shorten your exercise time for the days you have them as well, then take them swimming or out to play, and be active while you do that - it counts as exercise too!

Finally, set the example of a good diet for them. Weight loss is about 80% what you eat, anyway. So if you eat a healthy, well-rounded, reduced calorie diet, and offer the same to them (with some of the standards to fall back on, if necessary) they will be learning through your example. It bugs me when I try to teach my kids to eat healthy and then they come back from grandma's filled up on "fruit" rollups, chips, and mac & cheese.

Christine1110 · June 2012

I have a day care in my home, and have 6 to 8 kids each day....one is a 4 month old baby. We walk everywhere....they love to race, so I race with them. When we walk we jog a block, skip a block and walk a block....They think it's so fun.

borichfan · June 2012

The boy is 8 and the girl is 5. I can't get up any earlier to exercise before they get here, they will be coming at 5:30 am and that is early enough to be getting up in the summer time. The kids both are going thru this stage of arguing and being tattle tales. They constantly tattle on each other over little nothing stuff.
I surely won't be listening to all of that while i am on my elliptical. They cannot exercise with me. My living room is too small for that, besides when i do aerobics in the livingroom, i do step aerobics, and only have one step.
I have a PS2 the boy likes to play, but i will have my dvd in the tv at the time, unless i go out of the way to drag out the small tv in the bedroom for them to use. Be alot of trouble tho.
I have hotwheel cars and one of those wooden train sets for them to play with. Other than that, they just want to go outside all the time, i have a swingset outside, but they will not be allowed to go out on their own, because we live so close to the road and we have a swimming pool in the backyard.
I have been keeping the boy already some since school been out and he will come in at 5:30 am and lay down on the livingroom sofa and sleep till about time to eat lunch. He will sleep thru me exercising, and cleaning and fixing lunch, but now that we will be having the girl also, she won't do that, if i am lucky she may come in and lay down for an hour or so till i get up stirring around. The way i see it, she will come in and be up early when i got exercising and other stuff to do, and be wanting to go outdoors already. That is the way i am expecting it to go. BUT i will just have to stand my ground and be firm about it, and tell both the kids that i am going to get in my exercise no matter if they do have to sit on the sofa and watch and be bored till i get done, and they will have to not be arguing, or coming to me wanting to tattle on each other while i am working out, i will ignore that. And i will tell them what i use to tell my kids and the kids i babysitted years ago when i exercised, i will tell them not to come to me interupting me while i am exercising unless they see fire or blood. After i get my workout done, and do laundry or whatever i got to do, and fix our lunch, then we will go outdoors to get in the pool or let them play on swingset.
We getting alot of garden stuff coming i out of the garden now, so they will be etting alot greenbeans, squash, potatoes for lunch and some other stuff. I am doing my body by vi shakes sometimes i drink one a day sometimes 2.
I do have my husband here, he can help me out with the kids, but he will be doing his garden work and cutting grass early in the mornings, so he will be in and out of the house all morning, but maybe he can sorta take the time out to watch the kids during the hour or so that i will be working out.

htmlgirl · June 2012

Have the parents bring more of their toys, set aside crafts or other activities for them to do for that hour. Or take them outside and play. Exercise isn't limited to the elliptical and workout videos. By running with them and what not, you're burning calories and it's a win-win.

Shannonsto · June 2012

Do you have a YMCA nearby? Mine has been a lifesaver in that they offer free childcare while I work out. There are always a lot of kids there, and my girls love it.

sm_wilson · June 2012

I nanny a 8 and 6 year old, for exercise I'll take them to parks and have them ride their bikes around the trails while I run with them! It works great! I also take them hiking, it keeps them entertained and since they are having so much fun they don't have time to bicker and fight! All while I'm burning calories!

exercise and babysitting. How to deal with it?

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