MUM-e-Mail

- a newsletter to enthuse, educate, and entertain
mothers of pre-schoolers and their supporters

October 2004

 

Mothering Maxim  -  Well-being

Physical health affects mental health. 

Mum Moment - Exercising Tips For Parents of Pre-schoolers

Exercise. Yeah right! In my spare time – right after I’ve made the beds, prepared tea, and the zillion other things a mother does. Exercise.. or excuses?

We know the theory – 30 minutes at least three times a week. But in reality… well… those extra 450 calories to burn just don’t seem to get ignited!

But…, saying this again so that I will get it, finding time for regular physical activity is important not only for our benefit, but also to set a good example for our children. Let them see you cheerfully engage in fitness, then they are going to have a more positive image of exercise. Let them know that you exercise to stay healthy, to be strong and to have more energy and stamina - so you can keep up with them!

Other benefits are that exercise helps to overcome depressive moods, tends to get you out in the big wide world, and exercising with your children also provides the extra bonus of spending quality time together.

So, back to how do I fit this into my already full life with pre-schoolers? First, make a choice to exercise - you always have time for what is put first. Here’s some tips:

* Fit in exercise time while they are napping. Try a home exercise video, walking or jogging (if you have a treadmill or rebounder), skipping rope.
* Turn on some music and dance together. Toddlers love dancing, especially when their parents joins in.
* Grab your stroller and go for a brisk walk. Or, buy a jogging stroller for more flexibility. With a jogging stroller you can walk faster, jog or even run at a fast pace. And, for veteran inline skaters, you can even use the stroller for some skating time.
* Occupy them for even 15 minutes with a video or toy while you do some toning exercises like squats and triceps dips. Perhaps set them in their stroller so they can watch you – with or without accompanying music!
* For younger children, you can use a back carrier to transport them while walking. This can burn even more calories as the extra weight makes it more challenging.
* Push your child on a swing. And, after every push complete one squat. Join in with the children at the playground. Go on.. swing across the monkey bars!
* Go to the local swimming pool and swim with your children. Show them how you can swim lengths. They’ll probably be impressed.
* Use an infant carrier or bike trailer to enjoy a bike ride together.
* Park the car further away from the supermarket door. Walk an extra block in town. Take the stairs [if you’re without the stroller].
* Go outside every day for even a short stroll to the corner and back. Have the children count the lines in the concrete.

Make physical fitness a healthy part of your daily life with littlies.
Everyone benefits. Good on ya!

 

From A Mother’s Heart -

I can do it! I CAN do it. I can DO it. Please help me, God.  And … it is very acceptable to care for my own health and well-being. My physical and mental health affects my whole family.

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You are welcome to forward this MUM-e-Mail in its entirety to your friends, mothers of pre-schoolers and their supporters. Currently there are 218 subscribers from NZ, Australia, England, Canada, and USA.

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Mum's Mail -

I keep healthy and well by …. [give us a couple of tips or ideas]

You're invited to complete this sentence and reply to mumemail@... [you could click on this hyperlink and do it now?]. We'll publish responses next time in MUM-e-Mail.

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MOPS Celebrate! Saturday 13 November 10am-1pm at Vaughn Park Retreat Centre, Long Bay, Auckland. $15 includes refreshments and lunch. Reply NOW to Nickie Sheehan, 09-410.2291, sheehans@....

MOPS NZ - mopsnz@...        MOPS Au - www.mops.org.au

Check out the regularly changing  www.mops.org for locations of global MOPS groups, mum’s forums, MOMSense radio transcripts [free subscription], courses, etc.

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Thanks for your responses to : 

The best thing to do in Spring is …

… to plant something and watch it grow. – Darges, NZ

 

… go outdoors. Take the time to play with your children in the sunshine amongst the lovely new smells & freshness that Spring brings. Run with them, laugh with them, learn with them, discover with them, have FUN with them. - Karen Winder, NZ

 

… plant. It's wonderful for the children to watch things grow over the summer. They love to water, and to eat fruit from their own backyard. Strawberries are especially wonderful for they will grow in pots if you like. My children love watching the blooms come on, the petals fall off, and the little bud from the flowers' centre slowly grow into a delicious berry. Also, strawberries develop quickly, not like melons which need until fall/autumn. - Janie Rosen, Family of Christ MOPS, Andover, MN, USA

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Mum – Etc - Snippets and e-bits that may interest you …
[these websites and all their contents are not necessarily endorsed by MOPS NZ]

MUM-e-Mail archives, viewable by public, back to August 2003 -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mum-e-Mail

 

Site to help set-up digital pictures online as simple album pages - http://www.myalbummaker.com/

Here’s one of my Nathan, now nearly 5: [wait till it’s loaded] http://www.myalbummaker.com/email/178164/ffdc9a3a41
I’ve also experimented with MSPublisher to do similar setups and like it better – greater flexibility.

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Enjoy the world with your children today … and thank you for reading MUM-e-Mail, 

Shalom,

Johanna Whittaker

mumemail@...

on behalf of MOPS (NZ) Inc.

© 2004 by MOPS New Zealand Inc and MOPS International.