Let’s talk about how easy it is to put yourself dead last – and how easy it is to tell yourself a story called “I don’t have time – I am prioritizing my children right now”… I’ve been at this a long time, and I hear this ALL THE TIME!!!
Well, it’s time to tell a different story. I have 4 kids, I manage a business with a huge team, I work 12+ hour days… exercise is essential to me feeling great in my day-to-day life, and key to my long-term health goals.
Don’t get me wrong! You are perfect and lovely exactly how you are, and I’m not telling you to exercise because you aren’t good enough! Exactly the opposite – you absolutely deserve to feel great, have lots of energy, be able to do all the things you want to do and live a long healthy life. Those things will only happen when you get yourself on the priority list.
Now let’s talk about your kids. They deserve to have Mama at her best. And I don’t care how patient and energetic you are – you will be even more so with regular exercise. So that little bit of time you take to yourself, your kids get back in extra energy from you! That’s short-term.
Long-term – where will you be in 20-30 years if you don’t take care of your health and fitness? Will you be turning up for your kids to help them with the grandkids, or will you be another thing on your child’s list of things they need to take care of? Reality check – if you don’t take care of yourself now, you are very likely to need help from your kids frequently by the time you are in your 60s (or younger!). Personally, I hope to be a super active grandma that can help my kids with their families and make their lives easier – I don’t plan on making their lives harder by becoming a burden at a young age.
What do your kids learn when they see you put yourself back on the priority list?
They learn that exercise is an important part of life, like brushing your teeth, taking a shower and eating and they are likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle just like you! They learn their roles in the family… do we want to teach our daughters to grow up and put themselves dead last? Do we want to teach our sons that their wives shouldn’t have time to take care of themselves? NO! We want to show our kids that exercise is an important part of self-care and that we all deserve to take the time for our healthy life.
So, the next time you catch yourself using your kids as an excuse to not do things for your own health and fitness – change the story – let them be your motivation and NOT your excuse!!!!
I love helping moms prioritize themselves and if you aren’t sure where to start, reach out for help!