5 Amazing Things You Can Learn from a Toddler
If you are having a hard time getting motivated to eat right and exercise, take note of how a toddler goes about their day.
They are in motion all day long.
My son is in constant motion from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep. He is a calorie burning machine that runs, jumps, hops, and skips everywhere he goes. He crawls around on the floor and does somersaults for no apparent reason. Take a lesson from your kids---the more you move, the more energy you have, and the more fit you will become.- They stop eating when they are full.
Kids can resist that last bite of food because they don't feel the need to clean their plate. They can have one bite of a cookie and walk away. When was the last time you turned away the last bite of food, despite the fact that you were already full? Try it out today, you will probably find you need less food than you realize. - They love to see themselves naked.
They are so proud of their bodies and embrace every single imperfection, scratch, and bruise. If you find yourself constantly criticizing your body, take a moment to thank it for all it does for you. Without our bodies, we would have a tough time getting round! - They are very flexible!
Children are like pretzels, they can bend, twist, and reach in every direction. Why? Because they practice it everyday (see #1). As adults, we lose our flexibility because we do not stretch our muscles enough. Take a few minutes out of each day to do some much needed stretching or yoga. - They get their sleep.
Children stay on top of their game by napping during the day and going to bed early at night.Their batteries are fresh and charged each morning. When was the last time you can say that about yourself? Turn off the TV, computer, and phone and get yourself a solids night sleep.
Lisa Gulley is a personal trainer turned stay at home mom that can be found doing walking lunges at the park with her 2 young boys. When she gets spare time, she enjoys running and hosts a blog for busy parents called Workout Mommy. Her motto is "Never underestimate the power of a workout".
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True true!
I like it!
Keeping moving is a good one. We all spend way too much time reading blogs.
RT
ReplyLol, yeah RT, maybe you're right!
We really could learn a lesson or two from these little ones.
Here's another lesson:
ReplyHave you noticed that a baby never gives up trying to walk, they keep trying until they finally succeed! They don't stop the first time they take a tumble. Maybe we should learn from this and not give up at the first sign of failure. What do you think?
Awesome post!
ReplyChildren seem to enjoy the learning process, while adults seem too concerned with getting to the end result as fast as possible. In the area of health and fitness, being focused on the process will be much more helpful if one wants to succeed.
ReplyAll so very true, except that my sons don't sleep. They HATE sleep. And then they turn into monsters if they don't get it!
#3: My 4 yo was born with a small cyst on the very front of his tongue (it looks like a white blister). He didn't notice it until he was over 2 yo. Other people notice and ask about it, but he's always showing people, and thinks it's cool. Yes, our little ones embrace their imperfections!
ReplyKids are pretty crazy about constant motion, I remember my young cousin was running through the living room after his brother, and I picked him up while he was running past to reprimand him, and he just kept pumping his legs as if he was still going.
Now compare that with me, sitting and starting at my computer screen, possibly mistaken for comatose to an outside observer.
I also call shenanigans on the sleep front. I don't ever recall going to sleep voluntarily as a kid. My parents had to bring in the swat team to make me go to bed, forget naps.
ReplyYou know you aren't moving enough when you are sitting at your desk reading blogs, and the motion sensor in the office turns out the lights. :o)
Not something a toddler would ever experience.
Reply:) yeah i know how that is.
i can sit in my car and read a magazine and the garage light just go *pop
*darkness
but a toddler can't read that much anyway.
ReplyGreat post! We can learn a lot from our toddlers. I know I have from my 2 year-old!
Great message!
ReplyThere's so much that can be learned from kids! When I was nanny to two little girls (8 and 6 years old) in Spain, they were totally confident because of the nude beaches there and the attitude that the Spanish have about the human body. I loved the way that nudity is not an issue there, and the people are proud of their naked beauty. If only we could bring that attitude and healthy relationship to North America!
ReplyIt's true! I sometimes think I should just take video of my kids and release it as a workout DVD.
ReplyI also notice how my 4 year-old eats: Breakfast is her biggest meal, lunch is eaten at school (sent from home), and dinner is pretty light.
This is so true! Little kids are amazing to watch...they run EVERYWHERE! My friend's kids are really young and once they learned to run, that's all they wanted to do. And they are SO flexible! Part of it is the fact that they don't even have a concept in their head of not being able to do something...they'll try to do the splits until they can. I gotta work on that...I'll look at certain yoga poses and I'm like "Uh, yeah RIGHT! I'll break my leg doing that".
I think it's so cool that kids love their bodies so much. I don't think I starting not liking my body until I was about 11 or 12 and I had a friend who was a lot less developed than I was...she had slim hips and no breasts, while I had just come to the realization that I had breasts, hips, and a butt. I totally embraced my imperfections...I had a lazy eye until I was 8 and I never thought anything of it, except that I got to wear a neat eye patch before having corrective surgery. And I was so excited to show people any bruise or scrape I got because they were like battle scars...it showed that I was brave and invincible. Now I read stories about 5 year olds thinking they're fat and it makes me want to cry. Kids just have no childhood anymore.
Reply"Kids just have no childhood anymore"
Reply...thanks to society and parents ;>(
Thanks alot to other kids, often. As a parent, you notice that there's a whole lot of little nasties out there. They are master manipulators and know how to find out the weaknesses of their peers - and are rewarded by the reactions of their victims and their audiences. The "mean girls" for instance, start early, and probably could bear more responsibility than anyone for making other kids feel bad about how they look. (I found a study that says these kids can be identified by other kids as early as PRESCHOOL)
For every parent that's messing up their kid about body image, I'd bet theres hundreds more reassuring their kids that they are lovable no matter how they look. Can't blame us parents for everything, you know!! Most of us are doing our best and we try hard not to screw it up more than half the time, lol.
ReplyYes, I can still blame the parents. Those kids that are pointing out all of those weaknesses we're never taught not to do so by their grand parents...
The fact that another user's comments about lack of parenting shows the insecurity you have when it comes to raising your kids, which can be corrected.
ReplyWow, that is so true. my little sister a few years back,(then 7 now 10) was the cutest little thing! little chubby cheeks and long curly hair. For her age she was average and very active. But for some insane reason she stoped eating her favorite foods and all she drank was water. I asked why she wasn't eating like she used to, and she said that our brother had called her fat, that no one in school would be her friend because she was soo fat and told her to stop eating so much. I was completely disgusted!!!! I couldn't believe this had come out of my brother's mouth not only that but he's 11 years older than she!!!
ReplyYay! Workout Mommy is the awesome-est! :)
ReplySure, toddlers sleep, but the ones I've known have fought tooth and nail to stay awake. Once they're down for the count, however, you can yodel right next to them and it doesn't matter. They'll snooze through anything, much like cats and dogs can nap while loud music is playing.
Now why I can't do that?!
ReplyI would LOVE if my boss said we had to have a nap every afternoon, like my mother did!!
Perhaps I should explain how it will make me a healthier and more productive employee?
ReplyYou can count me in for mandatory afternoon nap time! LOL
ReplyThis was a great article!
ReplyGreat article! My kiddo isn't in motion yet, but he will be soon, so I need to get with the picture and get on my diet and exercise.
Anyone have suggestions on how to get motivated, when you only get VERY few hours of sleep a night.
ReplyMy nieces have "naked time" like what Dana Carvey's kid did, and it's so inspiring to see how exhilarated the girls get. They are so free in their own skin, and it reminds me how much I'd like to be more like that.
Great post! And so cool to see you posting here ;)
ReplyWords to live by! I like it:)
ReplyDefinitely pointed out the amazing lessons our toddlers provide to us. I love their curiosity too. They are work but a great reminder of what we can be as people!
Replyi would so give EVERYTHING to be able to move around all day and take naps.
it's not gonna happen tho, school, work, etc. every non-baby or non-toddler has something on the agenda everyday
ReplyTwo of my kids would adamantly disagree with the nap part. My second child used to lead me to his crib. I never had to watch the clock. Even now that he's grown out of naps, if he's really tired, he'll go to bed. On the other hand, he's the one who thinks he can live off of jelly beans (his favorite vegetable)! So there is much a toddler can learn from their parents too.
ReplyFastastic Post!!! Thank you
ReplyGood post. It brought back some good memories of my two girls at that age (they're now teenagers) . . . their energy levels were absolutely amazing.
ReplyI like the one about appreciating your body more.
That is so true in that we can hate it all we want, but would we rather not have a body? That is very sobering thought :)
Reply