By Kristy Wise

Image courtesy of photoXpress

Before kids entered my life, my husband and I exercised religiously. We only took one day off a week and I loved our time at the gym. But something happened after our first child was born (and then our second only 18 months later). Exercising became much more challenging.

The first couple years I managed to take my children with me to the gym. But it was no longer six days a week; it was one if I was lucky. Of course, exercising with kids in the nursery is different than it used to be.

I had a constant fear that something bad would happen to my baby or she would need me for some reason. My second daughter had separation anxiety pretty badly so I was lucky if I was ever able to get through a 20-minute workout.

Needless to say, I gave up on the gym. Exercise had to be done elsewhere. So after five years of momhood, this is what exercise looks like now. Sometimes I walk or run around the neighborhood. Sometimes I pop in one of my workout videos during the kids’ rest time. And sometimes I do kid-friendly exercises with my girls.

These exercises are actually more like games. They are fun and we all get in some great exercise. For example, I’ll chase them around the house pretending I’m the tickle monster. Or we’ll dance together in the living room and I’ll show them some cool moves from my younger years.

If we go to a park, sometimes we’ll race each other to a certain tree or landmark.

I also remind myself that as a stay-at-home mom I am actually more active than most working adults. I rarely sit down during the day because I’m always doing something for them or cleaning up a mess or running errands.

While I may not always get 30 minutes of intense workout, I definitely move a lot more than I did before children.

I have one more final note for moms. It may be hard to find time to exercise because we have the tendency to put our family’s needs before ours. Don’t forget to take care of yourself too. Your health is extremely important for not only you, but also the rest of your family.

Photo from Morguefile.com

This post will give you an idea as to what I personally think are the best vitamins for toddlers. I also want to share with you why they are necessary for your kids to take supplements like these.

On this blog I talk a lot about kids healthy nutrition. It it vitally important for parents and kids to eat healthy fruits, veggies and other whole foods.

Organic is the best because it’s clean and free from pesticides and other harmful organisms such as GMO. These healthy foods give us the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we need.

However, there is still an issue facing us and our kids. We’re still not getting enough vitamins and minerals. To combat this my family often juices organic veggies and fruits.

This gives us the opportunity to basically drink multiple amounts of fruits and veggies all at the same time. Talk about a power packed drink!

This is good for adults and toddlers. My toddlers enjoy this juice in smaller amounts and they love using a straw.

Another great source of vitamins for kids are chewable whole food multivitamins. Never use anything else. Forget about the gummies or other chewables.

Before I unveil the one we use at our home I wanted to give you all the great bullet points. Even if you don’t get the one we have here are some things you should look for.

• Immune support vitamins such as A, C, D3, selenium and zinc.
• Mental and physical energy like B and iron.
• Bone health with A, C, D3, calcium and magnesium.
• Eye health with A, C and zinc.
• Digestive health with vitamin D3.

You also want to find a whole food multi for kids that tastes good. If they don’t like the taste then they will never try it again. The one we found has a cherry berry flavor and one of my kids even keeps it in their mouth like it’s a piece of candy.

Remember, this is just a supplement. This doesn’t replace eating health foods.

Okay, time for the unveiling. The whole food multivitamin we give our kids is…”Vitamin Code Kids” by Garden of Life.

It contains 22 organically grown fruits and veggies and even contains a probiotic blend. My kids each chew one every morning before or after breakfast.

We are very satisfied with these and re-order them every month. You can learn more about them here.

Image courtesy of MorgueFile

We all know what foods kids love to eat right? We want our kids to be happy and don’t want to “deprive” them of their desires.

At least that’s the way modern parenting would tell us.

Don’t get me wrong, when I was a kid I enjoyed many of the items on the list below. I also seemed to have an incredible metabolism which I don’t have anymore.

In today’s world there are a lot more dangerous ingredients in foods that parents need to be made aware of.

While we can celebrate and indulge once in a while here is a list of celebrated foods kids love to eat.

• Pizza
• Soda
• Cookies
• Chips
• Crackers

Now, I’m just like everyone else and so are my kids. Eating these items is enjoyable and fun…once in a while. I want to list all the nasty ingredients in these foods for you but I think you already know.

I did however want to direct your attention to two toxic ingredients present in all of those items. MGS and aspartame. These are both considered excitotoxins and have profound effects on humans over time.

I know people who get terrible migraine headaches from those two items and many people have much more severe conditions and pain associated with them. Please monitor your kids if and when they eat those junk food items.

Here is a list of foods kids should want to eat. Actually, my kids do love eating many of these items and it’s a joy to see. A parents example really does work. It can work for you too.

• Apples
• Carrots
• Almonds
• Sunflower seeds
• Cheese sticks

If you are able to I would recommend organic for everything you can and for the cheese make sure there are no antibiotics or hormones.

My kids eat those items all the time and they really enjoy it. They actually request it most of the time. As long as we continually stock these items in our house the better off we are.

Holidays seem to be our biggest struggle. If we ever bring junk food into the house they devour it. Why? Through research I have found it’s because of the addictive ingredients manufacturers place in them.

There is no conspiracy about it. I’ve read article after article stating that the preservatives are addicting and are placed to prolong shelf life while ingredients like MSG increases flavor.

Why is there a need for increased flavor? It’s because most junk food has NO nutritional value. It’s basically not real food.

There a reason why MSG isn’t added to fruits and veggies and that’s because they naturally have great flavor and nutrition.

All this said, what foods do your kids love to eat?

Image Courtesy of MorgueFile

It doesn’t have to be special like Valentine’s Day to be loving your kids on purpose.  My goal is to love them each and every single day.  How do we do that though?

It’s all good and perfectly well to give them verbal encouragement, give them hugs and provide for their everyday needs.  What about health-wise though?

This page is going to give you a few important ideas to get you moving in the right direction.

Love Your Kids With Healthy Foods

I can’t think of a better way to love your kids than by buying the most healthy foods you can. The whole family can benefit from this.

I’m going to be blunt about a few things here. There is no time anymore to mince words. More and more foods are becoming very unhealthy such as processed foods.

If you’ve been around this blog long enough you’ll know I’m a big advocate of reading the food labeling.

I know you may find this hard to believe but the U.S dairy industry is actually trying to get approval from the FDA to put toxic aspartame in milk, yogurt and cream plus more. Worse yet, they want the name “hidden” so you can’t read it on the label.

I know we as parents have a lot on our plate but we can love our kids more if we seek out healthier foods on purpose.

For my family I’m doing everything possible to budget for as much organic as possible and we do everything we can to avoid aspartame and MSG which are both excitotoxins.

Loving Our Kids With Exercise

Once your kids are eating healthier foods you will see their energy levels jump to new heights. This is a fact that has been found over and over.

With these new energy levels they will be more likely to desire exercise or other fitness activities.

Exercising will also keep our kids and ourselves healthier and combined with healthy foods is a recipe to a happier life.

My kids are still young and one in particular loves to wrestle. It gives the both of us exercise and is also a great bonding experience. Specialists say that exercise like this with the family helps make kids feel more secure. I like the sound of that!

As parents we do have the freedom and choice to love on our kids in a healthy way that will have long lasting positive effects.

Image Courtesy of MorgueFile

I’m so excited to be writing about goals for your child this year. I’m very cautious and sensitive at the same time though and here’s why. I don’t get in the habit of telling parents what to do. I’m not a kids health tyrant and think I know it all.

However, I have kids of my own and I study the subject of kids health extensively and I’m not sponsored or have any ties to the big pharma companies.

That’s right, I absolutely think the number one goals for our kids should revolve around health and quality education.

Good New Year Resolutions For Kids

There is a very real threat of our kids health. Let’s not just call it childhood obesity. That is just a symptom of the problem. Today’s medicine wants us to only “treat” the symptoms.

What is at the heart of the issue though? The only mainstream TV program that even get’s it halfway right is “The Biggest Loser”. It’s one of the truly great shows out there and they always figure out health problems aren’t just about overeating and not exercising.

I think a great New Year resolution for kids would be to have parents build up their self esteem and to have the children come to realize they are worth something no matter what they “think” other people “think”.

I believe this will open the door for kids to feel better about life which in turn will get them more away from TV, video games and snacking all day.

So, number one goal for your kid is actually for you to build them up and their self worth.

Another great resolution would be for your child to explore the world or try something new they’ve never done before because of some fear. On “The Biggest Loser” show there was a young girl who always wanted to be on the cheerleader team but felt ashamed for various reasons which prevented her from trying. She faced her fear and tried it again and amazed everyone.

So, number two goal is for your kid to try something they’ve always wanted to but have feared. How about hiking, swimming or climbing?

My third goal for you and your child to consider is to become more knowledgeable about healthy eating. Trust me, it’s not as boring as you think. The human body is amazing and has the capability of healing itself if you’re eating the right foods.

I find it fascinating how powerful vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds really are. Help present to your child your healthy eating research and get really excited about it because it will rub off on them.

Try these three goals and please send me your feedback by leaving a comment below.

The holidays are quickly approaching and you may be planning some vacation days to spend quality time with the family. It’s a great opportunity to kick back and relax at the end of a busy year.

But whether or not you’re able to take time off from work, be sure to find time to make some special memories with your family. How about planning a few fun exercises for the kids? You’ll not only have fun together, you and the kids will also be working off the extra holiday calories you consume over the weeks.

Thanksgiving is known for pilgrims, turkey and pumpkin pie. But it’s also known for football games, as families gather around the television for the annual big game. But why not make football a local affair that day? Gather up kids and adults alike and head outdoors for your own game.

Football doesn’t have to be your sport of choice, though. You could also play baseball, soccer, kickball, dodge ball or whatever else interests you.

Kids indoor activities can be equally fun during the holidays. For Thanksgiving, create a scavenger hunt for the kids. Strategically place holiday-related items around the house and have them collect such things as colored leaves, goards and Indian feathers.

Or create a trivia relay race. First find easy facts online about Thanksgiving. Make a starting and finishing line and have the kids stand at the starting line.

After you read a question, they are to complete the relay race (such as running around the couch and to the front door). The first to reach the finish line can answer the question. Give prizes or treats for a correct answer.

Of course, these games can be just as fun with Christmas themes.

Fun kids indoor exercises such as these will keep your children healthier and help them enjoy the holidays more. As your kids grow up, this is a season they will always remember and cherish. Do your best to give them fond memories of the time you all spent together as a family.

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of Heather Parisi’s Flip2BFit fitness game for kids. It’s a board game with the intention of letting kids have fun while at the same time getting fit.

All kids like board games, right? My kids play Candyland like it’s the latest video game. This Flip2BFit board game is another excellent tool parents can use to help keep their kids in shape.

Not only that but they’ll also learn about four main fitness categories: stretching, strength, cardio and yoga. This game is recommended for children ages six and up, but I wanted to see what my four year old could do. First let me tell you what comes with the game.

Here’s What Comes In The Box

I was surprised by how good of quality this game is! It comes in a nice box with a purple dinosaur on it. Inside the box is a baggie with four game pieces. They look like the old “Sorry” pieces from back in the day. The colors are purple, yellow, green and blue.

There is a wheel with a black arrow and four quadrants. Purple for cardio, blue for stretching, orange for strength and green for yoga.

There’s another box with four groups of cards in them. There are 25 cards for each of the four categories I listed above. The cards are really high quality and remind of the expensive baseball cards I used to get. I almost didn’t want to use them because they are so nice.

Each card has a series of tasks either for the individual who draws the card or it might say “Group Plays” in which the whole group participates in the activity. The neat diagrams on the back of the cards help you understand what to do.

Here’s an example from each category. For the yoga cards there is one in which you do the chair pose where you stand with feet together and arms stretched over head. You would then bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair and you hold that position for 15 seconds.

In the cardio category there is a card where you have to do 15 jumping jacks. In the stretching category there is one where the child will do five shoulder shrugs forward and backwards.

My favorites are the strength cards where the person who draws the card can do sit-ups, pushups, squats and all sorts of healthy fitness moves.

The actual game board is really high quality and the basic object of the game is to travel through the park to meet Springer the dinosaur at the playground. In order to get there you have to draw enough cards and do all the yoga, stretches, cardio and strength exercises.

I Really Like This Game!

I’m a big fan of this board game because it teaches kids that fitness is fun. This is really important because many kids have been taught over the years that exercise is boring.

I also like this game because it gets the whole family involved. Yes, when we reviewed this game we had the whole family play. Mommy, daddy and our two daughters who are four and two.

Our two year old had a hard time keeping attention to the game but I would say most two year olds would be the same way. Our four year old loved the concept of the game and loved moving the game piece down the path each time she completed a task.

She did really good at the strength and cardio but struggled a little with yoga and stretching. I think if we continue to play the game she will catch on shortly.

The Flip2BFit Inc. company has a goal of reducing childhood obesity and wants to develop an active and healthy lifestyle for the whole family. They even have a PenPal Program that brings together children around the world.

You can learn more about Heather and Flip2BFit over at flip2bfit.com You can buy this cool fitness game for kids on Amazon.

Stretching exercises for kids promotes the increase in flexibility and as they grow it becomes a necessary component of everyday life.

Your child doesn’t have to be in sports to learn the importance of stretching. In sports, players typically have a warm up and then stretch followed by cardio, agility training and weight training.

I’ve worked in TV sports for many years and I see the routines players go through. Stretching is always done near the beginning. I’ve also been trained by a top sprinter and when we worked together we always stretched after warm up and also at the very end of our workouts.

Did you know that professional athletes consider flexibility as one of the components of speed? These guys jobs depend on it so it’s easy for you and I to understand how important stretching is.

What about injury? This is an equally important aspect. I’ve seen many people pull or tear hamstrings because they forgot to stretch. Now, most of those people weren’t kids, but it’s a good lesson for us to remember. Here are some benefits of stretching exercises for kids.

• Reduces the chance of tearing or pulling muscles
• Reduces the chance of muscle soreness
• Increases the chance of improved physical performance
• Increases the chance for a fuller range of motion

Here Are Some Stretching Exercises For Kids

1. While standing, rotate the arms clockwise and counterclockwise making circles about 25 inches in diameter. Then try them with circles around 10 inches in diameter. The feet should be shoulder width apart with knees slightly bent.
2. While seated, the legs are spread at a 45 degree angle. With arms straight, reach towards the left foot while keeping your head up and try to touch the chest to the thigh and the chin to the knee. You would repeat for left, middle and right.
3. While lying down on the ground, raise your left leg up and with both hands, grab around the calf area and pull the leg to your chest. This helps stretch the hamstrings.
4. While standing again do the twisting stretch. With feet should width apart and arms out like airplane wings, swing to the left and to the right while only moving the upper body.
5. Finally, the wrist stretch. While standing, have one arm out with palm facing the sky. Take the other hand and pull the fingers down towards the ground thus stretching the wrist and forearm.

Make sure there is some type of warmup prior to stretching, never stretch to pain, perform these stretching exercises for kids slowly and smoothly, breathe normal, and do your best to hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.

Get more great kids exercise info over at www.myfamilyexercise.com/category/kids-exercise.

How many of you out there participated in Vacation Bible School when you were a kid? How many of you have kids going to VBS these days?

When I was a kid, I always went to VBS and it was always a ton of fun. I still remember one year in particular. It was in Washington State and the weather was really good that summer.

There were puppet shows, Bible studies, snack time and I’ll always remember getting those cool stickers every time I recited a Bible verse from memory.

My most favorite time was game time though because that’s when we got to run around and play games I normally wouldn’t have played since they require a bunch of people.

Kids Fitness and Vacation Bible School Go Hand-In-Hand

Despite the sometimes questionable snacks at VBS, it really does promote kids exercise in more ways than you know. When I was a child, it seemed like game time was at least 30 minutes long.

I think today they only do it for 20 minutes but that goes a long way in regards to how much fitness some of our kids get these days.

Here are a series of pictures I took to show you all the fun ways children can be active while visiting VBS.

This is a group of three-year-olds playing outside during game time. It’s the classic parachute game where each child holds on and when they are told to, they shake the chute up and down.

Many times the leaders would hold the parachute up and the kids would run underneath. This proved to be an excellent form of exercise.

The older kids got to go outside in the wide open space and play their games. This particular game involved lots of running. In fact, many kids were outright sprinting and willingly doing so!

They may have only done it for 20 minutes but what an excellent workout for kids!

This is the one activity which really caught me by surprise. I don’t remember this when I went years and years ago. At the beginning and end of each day there were songs and dancing.

This wasn’t just move your feet from side to side high school prom dancing. This was more like choreographed zumba dancing!

All the kids were into it and the adults too. There were some kids sweating which showed how hard they were working. I bet they burned as many calories in one day as a typical kid does in a week!

There is no doubt Vacation Bible School promotes kids fitness, so next time there is one in your town send your children because they will have lots of fun.

Get more kids fitness info over at www.myfamilyexercise.com/category/kids-exercise.

Every parent should have an arsenal of fun exercises for kids. We especially need ones they love doing over and over again.

It’s good to have a long list of activities for indoor or outdoor play to get kids of all ages moving. I’ve found that when my daughter was three she was able to play exercise games designed for older kids. I also found older kids liked games designed for younger children.

Most if not all the examples I’m about to give you require very little if any financial investment. Many of them use materials that are super cheap or things you already have at home.

I’m not going to list the age groups for the exercises either because I think kids of all ages can participate in them and have fun.

If you come across an exercise that is proving to be frustrating for your child, temporarily stop that exercise and try another one. Feel free to adjust a certain exercise to fit the needs of your child.

Remember to instruct and guide your child with love, patience and encouragement with every exercise. They should be having fun and it helps if you are supportive.

Repetition is very important when implementing these exercises. I suggest that you repeat the same exercise throughout a given week. Evaluate your child’s progress to help you determine how they are improving and to know when to move on to the next level of exercises.

Try These Fun Exercises For Kids

Remember, all these games can be adjusted to fit the fitness or age level of your child.

Balloon Toss
All you need for this exercise is a few blown-up balloons. Give one balloon to your child. Take another balloon and show him how to throw it up into the air. Tell him that the key to the game is to keep the balloon from touching the floor.

To make it more interesting, pretend there is a river beneath your feet and if the balloons hit the ground they will be carried away by the current.

As you explain the game, show him how to play as well. Hit your balloon in the air. Most likely he will start trying to play the game before you’re finished explaining it. Throughout the activity, encourage him to throw the balloon in the air and keep it from touching the ground.

Remember to give positive words when he does a good job. If the balloon hits the ground, say something like, “Oh no! The river will carry the balloon away. Catch it, quick!” Continue playing until he loses interest.

Long Jump
Here’s an Olympic sport you can teach your children. For this activity, you will need masking tape, pen and paper for recording the distance the child jumps, a measuring stick, and an object to mark the landing spot.

With the tape, make a starting line on the floor. Explain to him that he must try to jump as far as he can forward from the starting line. Place a marker at his first landing spot. Measure the distance and write it on the paper.

Have him try again and encourage him to jump farther than his first spot. If he succeeds, move the marker and measure the distance again. He should jump a total of five times.

If more than one child is playing, have each child complete all five jumps before the next child starts. Compliment each child for their efforts. Give a medal or prize to the child that jumps the farthest or makes the most progress.

Noodle Sword Fighting
This activity has been a favorite of my kids for some time. All you need are a few of those cheap foam noodles from a dollar type store.

My wife literally paid $3 for three noodles.

You can either sword fight or lightsaber fight. Lately we’ve been doing a lot of Pippi Longstocking versus the pirates or Peter Pan versus Captain Hook.

There’s a lot of hopping, running and movement with the hands, wrists and arms. Just doing five minutes is super great exercise for the whole family.

Try doing these games for a week and try them again next week. Our goal is to let our kids try new things and be as active as possible.

Check out all my other fun exercises for kids today and don’t forget to leave me a comment about your experiences as a parent.