If you have an active baby, like I do, finding activities can be fun, but also a burden.
Droolface loves to go on adventures all the time. But, some days Mommy is not up for a big adventure. So, it's time for a small, backyard adventure. I always have to remind myself that adventures and activities don't have to be huge - they can also just be small trips around the neighborhood.
Droolface is getting to the age where he likes to explore everything, but his body often holds him back because he is not really crawling yet.
The best bet: Get outdoors.
Walking is one of the best exercises and it's something that anyone can do. While the Cape Gazette has taken action to get all its employees walking for 15-30 minutes during the workday, some days I am not able to venture out during lunch. So, I take that extra time and walk at home with Droolface.
He loves looking at nature. It must be something humans inherit at birth. He has always loved looking out the window at the grass and trees. Something about nature calms him. In many ways, it calms our spirits and centers us.
Now that he is anxious to be mobile, I strap him into the stroller and we walk down to a park in our neighborhood or even just around the backyard. I point out other kids, dogs, plants, trees, birds, or whatever is around us. This gets him interested in nature and the world around us. It also teaches him to pay attention to what is around him, which will be an important skill down the road.
While he can't use the playground equipment yet, the walking gets him used to being active. I want him to grow up loving nature, but also loving activity.
One thing that often goes out the window once we become "real adults" is outdoor activity. We get so caught up with our office lives, that we forget what used to make us happy as kids.
For the next week, I challenge you to get outdoors at least three times and walk or do other play activities with your kids and family. Everyone will benefit from both the activity and the family time.
Happy Friday all!
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Real Parents. Real Food. Real Fun.
Welcome to Adventures in Drool! Talking about green living, getting rid of plastics and toxic chemicals in our homes and raising happy kids on a budget. Join the conversation (www.adventuresindrool.com) and don't forget to Like us on Facebook!
Rachel Swick Mavity, author of the blog, lives with a reformed drooler (Droolface), who at age 3 loves to get muddy, drink homemade smoothies, giggle and flirt with old ladies. Her current drooler (Birdy) enjoys spitting up on work clothes and leaving drool trails as a way of showing her love.
Mavity previously worked as a journalist for seven years at newspapers from Pennsylvania to Maryland and Delaware. In Sussex County she worked for several newspapers, including the Cape Gazette. She lives in Lewes with her husband, Ryan Mavity, their son, "Droolface," and daughter, "Birdy."
