I've been thinking a lot about my girls' childhood, now that it is essentially over. Kids today are so much more curated than we were. We found ways to entertain ourselves that had nothing to do with technology, and most of us were not nearly as scheduled as today. If we wanted to know what our friends were doing, we couldn't just text. Heck, we wouldn't always bother calling (and if we did we had to know how to politely ask for them). If they weren't home, we already knew where else to look. And our parents did not know exactly where we were 24 hours a day-imagine not continually tracking kids with apps!
My girls had a bit of a different childhood than I did, but there was a big similarity--we did not require them to be under our supervision all day. We were fortunate enough to live on a cul-de-sac, with some "woods" at the end. I put that in quotes, but it really did have all the qualities of a forest, right down to critters and sharp things. They had a few friends on the block who were always around. We let them learn a bit about life without our input into every minute, and we did not protect them too fiercely.
One evening when my youngest was about 5, I was headed out for dinner with friends. I got a call that she had fallen off her scooter and was pretty upset. I believe my husband's descriptor of her injuries was "gnarly." Having been the one who carried her for 9 months, and then again for another year once she was aware of who was carrying her...she was my little sidekick, and she wanted me to come home at first. But as her dad was patching her up and calming her down, she decided she was ok if I didn't rush back because she knew she was in great hands.
The moral of the story: dads can be pretty great. So to all the dad and anyone who has served as that very present father figure for any of the kids in our lives -
HAPPY FATHERS DAY!
P.S. The OTHER moral of the story...she didn't let a setback defeat her. And it wasn't more than a day or two before she was back on her scooter. After all, she wasn't as proficient yet as she wanted to be.
Speaking of which here's some more on BIG GOALS:
Sometimes I will send you on a step-by-step, small goal setting assignment...today I want you to THINK BIG. And NEW!
Our brains like fun and novel things. When you try something new, it fires up the “feel good” part of your brain which can help to keep your motivation high. When you add novelty to your routine, it can keep you excited about continuing with your goals and healthy habits. Here are a few ideas of what I’m talking about:
Do a recipe challenge to cook 2-3 new meals every week
Learn to swim, golf, ski, or how to play another new sport
Greatly increase the amount of time you can hold a plank
Challenge yourself to a period of time without added sugars
Try some plant-based meals
Meditate daily for one month and journal your progress
Set a daily activity goal & use your fitness tracker to chart progress
The whole point is to try NEW, FUN things that support healthy choices. Stay tuned for some upcoming free resources and support...especially if you want to walk or run your first 5k soon! And you'll also want to join the Private Pep Squad to be able to get this full program for FREE in JUNE! The next time it will be offered will be fall...and it won't always be free! :)
Join the Private BFF Facebook Group for exclusive or free content, more workout advice, and group challenges!
These footer links are ads for affiliate brands I believe in. I earn from qualifying purchases made through your shopping. Thank you! Here are a couple great links for Father's day shopping!
Comments