2009 September | Dr. Mom Online

Motion is Life ~ Fat-Burning Full Body Resistance Training Work Out

September 29, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online 2 Comments

Good one today. Quick, powerful, sweaty. I like it! Sweat reminds me that I’m doing something worthwhile… or so I tell myself!

The work out:

25 lunges with front foot up on Bosu ball, rear foot up on couch – holding 2 x 25 lb. db’s

15 two-arm rows with 2 x 25 lb. db’s, standing on Bosu ball

25 lunges on the other foot

12 overhead presses with 2 x 15 lb. db’s

20 squats on round side of Bosu with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

20 incline chest flyes with 60 lb. cables on Bowflex

12 incline biceps curls (ea. side) with 2 x 15 lb. db’s

20 reverse grip triceps kickbacks (each side) with 30 lb. cables on Bowflex

25 dead lifts with 2 x 35 lb. db’s on balance board

16 (ea. side) 1-arm twisting reach & row with 50 lb. Bowflex cables

25 side squats with one leg up on bench, 2 x 35lb. db’s

15 dead lifts standing up on bench

25 side squats, other leg up

abs: 100 Pilates scissors, 25 pike position leg raises on bench

12 chin-ups with knees up

20 decline push-ups with feet up on exercise ball

Total time: 18 minutes.

Whew!

What’s on your agenda for movement today? (or what have you already done?)

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: burn fat, Exercise, fat loss, fitness, resistance training, weight loss, weight training, work out

Motion is Life ~ “Power Cardio” Work Out

September 29, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online 3 Comments

Yesterday, something came up in our schedule that meant hubby needed to take off for a few hours in the morning… when I had planned on going for a run.

OK… plan B. I figured I’d just go when he got back, before leaving for work.

Nope, he didn’t get back in enough time to make it all happen. And I couldn’t just leave the kids to go out for some cardio… and they didn’t feel like joining me in the cold rain anyway!

Plan C.

I did a wild, off the top of my head, “Power Cardio” work out that was basically just a series of high intensity, fast-paced “burst” moves with very, very short rest periods in between.

It worked out really well… it was a fast, focused way to not skip a work out!

Also, this is the type of “cardio” (anaerobic) that really revs up our resting metabolic rate, in turn burning lots of fat and calories.

These are the “moves” I did:

50 squat/front kick combo’s

50 jumping jacks

50 mountain climbers

50 low jacks (jumping jacks while legs are in deeper bend)

50 squat jumps with medicine ball

50 roundhouse kicks (each side)

25 burpees (google it if you’re not sure… it’s easy to find… involves squat to push-up to squat to vertical leap… all very fast!)

50 “Bosu side scoots” with medicine ball (Haven’t talked about this one for awhile – basically, starting in side lunge position with ‘inside’ foot on Bosu ball, then quickly skim across top of Bosu ball to other side for wide side lunge, keeping the new ‘inside’ foot on top of Bosu ball. It’s just a high-speed way to do alternating side lunges, with a power burst jump in the middle!)

50 alternating swivel kicks over high-back chair

50 bench jump-ups

Total time: I think it was around 18 minutes or so.

I almost skipped this work out due to time issues… I’m SO glad I didn’t. It really IS amazing what you can squeeze into 15 – 20 minutes if you’re workin’ your gluteal region hard enough!! : )

What do YOU do for a work out if you’re pressed for time?

Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you

Kick your feet back to a pushup position

Immediately return your feet to the squat position

Leap up as high as possible from the squat position

Repeat, moving as fast as possible

Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you

Kick your feet back to a pushup position

Immediately return your feet to the squat position

Leap up as high as possible from the squat position

Repeat, moving as fast as possible

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Exercise

Motion is Life ~ Fat-Burning, Calorie-Burning Resistance Training Work Out

September 27, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Motion is Life!

I had a good work out today. Imagine this – I (re)discovered that I get a much more intense and focused work out when I’m not trying to simultaneously teach a math lesson or help with Spanish translation!! Go figure!

Today, I made sure that my off spring were happily preoccupied with other activities (a.k.a. the neighbor kids!).

The work out:

100 alternating ‘overhead’ lunges onto Bosu ball – holding medicine ball straight overhead for 50 lunges, and holding 2 x 15 lb. db’s straight overhead for the other 50 reps

30 Romanian dead lifts with 2x 25 lb. db’s

15 wide-elbow bent over two-arm rows with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

15 incline chest presses (on incline bench) with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

15 incline biceps curls with 2 x 15 lb. db’s

15 (ea. side) triceps extensions with 15 lb. db’s, lying over exercise ball

12 incline biceps curls again

25 quick-paced squats with 2 x 35 lb. db’s

(repeat squats)

12 lateral shoulder raises with 2 x 15 lb. db’s

20 Romanian dead lifts with 2 x 35 lb. db’s

25 decline push-ups with feet on exercise ball

… followed immediately by 25 jacknife knee tucks (abs)

15 chin-ups

25 bench step-ups (on each leg) with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

triceps kickback extensions with 30 lb’s Bowflex cables – 10 reverse grip, 10 regular grip (each side)

35 leg raises, in pike position on bench

24 alternating biceps curls with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

60 seconds plank position

Total time: approx. 30 minutes (excess time taken up by not being able to find the “right” song on the radio a couple times… yes, I know there’s such a thing as an iPod!!)

Total sweat: a lot!! Makes me feel like I worked nice and hard.

Nutritional Choices ~ Turning an UNhealthy Meal into a HealthIER One

September 27, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Copy of P1040516

Just thought I’d share how our family applies my mantra of “Getting healthier isn’t about being perfect… it’s about making better choices more often.”

Creating health through nutrition requires making more pure and sufficient choices, while decreasing the toxic and deficient ones.

Sometimes, I just feel like having a tasty toxin. So there.

Last night was one of those nights. We have a local restaurant that all four members of our family (five, when grandpa is visiting!) agree makes the best pizza… unbelievable, I know! It’s a unanimous decision.

Although they use fresh ingredients, I don’t ever kid myself that the nutritional content of the pizza is adding to our health in any way. Perhaps the mental and emotional benefit of not having to cook or clean up much… yes, that might add a bit to my overall wellness. But NOT the nutrition!

So, how do I spruce this meal up to make it healthIER? Trust me – no rocket science here!

First, we served a nice big salad before the pizza. The kids gobbled that up lickety split. Several different lettuces, pine nuts, almonds, goat cheese, cukes, cherries… yum!

Then came the pizza and some more veggies – beans, tomatoes and carrots. We had cheese pizza – simple and the least amount of toxicity.

We cut the kids’ pieces into halves – a much better portion for their little bodies, and ours, really! Before they can have their second piece, they’ve got to make sure they’ve eaten their veggies. Simple.

Sometimes, they don’t really want the second piece after all the salad and veggies. Sometimes they do. No big deal, since it means they’re having ONE (full) piece of pizza all together.

Beverage for the kids – water. Mom and dad – a glass of red wine.

Perfectly healthy? Nope. Healthier than it would have been had we not added the salad and veggies? Absolutely.

I think changing up the order of meals has been one of the most important things I do in order to make sure my kids are “filling up with Health FIRST”.

Word & Thought of the Day ~ Thorough

September 27, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online 1 Comment

Copy of P1040671

Today has been a bit of a “chore” day around the house. It’s not so much the word “thorough” that was important for me to teach the kids, but rather today’s thought.

The thought, or our ‘theme’ for the day is: If you’re going to do a job, do it well. If you’re going to put in the time, you might as well do a great job… it takes the same amount of time to go through the motions!

It’s a simple, basic thought for kids. BUT, as grown-ups, we know full well that it makes a tremendous difference.

It ties in closely with responsibility and being accountable and conscientous. We’ve talked about how it’s not a great character trait to get into the habit of saying “it’s good enough” in most circumstances. If we CAN do better, then we SHOULD do better.

I’m trying to keep this in perspective so as not to raise completely anal-retentive, perfectionist off spring!! It certainly is NOT about being perfect. But it IS about doing your best, being thorough and completing the task at hand.

We’ve been talking about all the people and examples that we’d never want to hear “good enough” or “close enough” or “nobody will notice it’s not quite right or quite complete” from… like your surgeon, your pilot, your dentist, an astronaut, a politician (no further comment!), a teacher, a scientist, a lawyer, your hair stylist, your banker, a cashier, a pharmacist… and so on.

My favorite thought regarding today’s theme is “Do the right thing – and your best – whether anyone notices or not.”

Healthy Little Kitten!

September 26, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online 2 Comments

"I have these people trained already."

Because she’s a member of THIS family, even the cat is getting fish oil!

Hey, we want our pets to have optimal health & happiness, too! Plus, I’m not going to be dealing with any psycho kitties around here!

(“Fish Breath” is her newest nickname!)

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: fish oil, Nutrition, omega 3

Motion is Life ~ Cardio Work Out Family Fun

September 26, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Workin' those legs!

Yesterday, we combined our Environmental Discovery Center field trip with a cardio work out for mom and dad, and a cardio/power work out for the kids!

My hubby and I rode our bikes around the entire metropark, pulling the kids behind us. Great work out! (This time, HE actually pulled the trailer… I would have packed more stuff in it, had I known!!)

It was approximately 45 minutes of quick-paced, hilly riding. Awesome!

We let the kids play for another hour or so on all the adventure and climbing equipment. Rock walls, rope climbing, maze, running the hills and stairs, as well as the usual crazy playground fun!

We all had fun running and chasing on the grassy hills! I love those “free-form” work outs!

Word & Thought of the Day ~ Chillax!

September 26, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online 2 Comments

Copy of P1040746 We’ve been on the go quite a bit for the last few weeks. After work and soccer this morning, it was time to remind the kids about the importance of “Chillaxing”.

Chill out.

Relax.

It’s good for the soul!

(Yes, I normally choose ‘lofty’, inspirational, motivational or character-building words and thoughts for our daily theme. Oh well, they’ve enjoyed this one today! It has served an important purpose.)

They needed a refresher course in hanging out at home, laying low, de-stimulating, being creative, and enjoying simpler things.

Even kids can easily get caught up in burning the candle at both ends. They can also come to consciously or sub-consciously expect to always be on-the-go and stimulated by external sources… field trips, sports, play dates, activities, errands… stuff.

Not that all the stuff is inherently “bad”, it can just get to be too much. Kids need balance, too.

Chillax!

Motion is Life ~ Fat-Burning Resistance Training Work Out

September 26, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Motion of all sorts is good!

The last resistance training work out I did was on Thursday. I’m due for one today, but decided to do a stretching and isometric work out today to let my shoulder heal up a bit.

Thursday’s fat-burning, calorie-burning, strength-building work out looked like this:

20 squats on the round side of Bosu ball with 2 x 25 lb. db’s on shoulders

20 two-arm rows with 2 x 25 lb. db’s while standing on round side of Bosu ball

20 alternating lunges with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

15 chest presses with 2 x 25 lb. db’s while lying on exercise ball

20 Romanian dead lifts with 2 x 35 lb. db’s

24 alternating biceps curls with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

20 alternating lunges with 2 x 25 lb. db’s

17 reverse grip triceps kickbacks (ea. side) with 30 lb. Bowflex cables

25 push-ups

Abs: 25 straight leg raises, 90 seconds plank pose, 100 scissor kicks

Total time: 25 minutes

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: burn calories, Exercise, fat burning, fitness, resistance training, weight loss, work out

Word & Thought of the Day (yesterday’s) ~ Risk Taker

September 26, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Coooool!

Yesterday, we had the kids out for another adventure.

After the usual math and language arts in the morning, we headed out to a metro park to check out their Environmental Discovery area that features an underground pond-viewing area. Very cool. Just like at a zoo or Sea World, you walk right into the pond in a tunnel and then out into a dome that sits in the middle of the pond.

We were the only ones there so the kids had lots of opportunity to learn and explore. It was great!

It got greater…

We also brought our bikes along to ride the trails. As we headed out, we saw a fabulous kids’ play/adventure area. This is where the calculated risk taking came into play. They did a giant maze, rock climbing, rope climbing and all sorts of ‘rides’ and ‘toys’ they’d never seen before.

We talked about how calculated risks come with great reward – learning a new skill, discovering something new about yourself or the world around you, self-empowerment and confidence… and fun! We talked about some of the greatest individuals throughout history, and how we’d never know about them or their discoveries had they not taken some risk.

No risk, no reward.

Sure, as parents it’s a fine line between raising goofballs that will blindly run into any situation, dangerous or otherwise) without thinking it through at all vs. confident, intelligent risk takers that stretch and challenge themselves in order to grow. I don’t have the magic answer for that! I just tell the kids that if mom and dad are with you (like yesterday), it’s the perfect opportunity for s-t-r-e-t-c-h!

Related Blogs

Filed Under: The Home School Life Tagged With: attitude, character, field trip, happiness, home school

The Dr. Mom Healthy School Days Menu is NOW AVAILABLE!!

September 25, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online 1 Comment

It’s finally here! Your solution for healthy breakfast, lunch and snack ideas… no more confusion, no more scrambling for last minute ideas… this menu will be a LIFESAVER for you, just like it has been for me!!

Check it out at www.HealthySchoolDaysMenu.com

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Kids' Nutrition, Nutrition Tagged With: healthy breakfast, healthy lunch, healthy meals, Nutrition, school lunches

Word & Thought of the Day ~ Flexibility

September 24, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Copy of P1040782

I had originally “scheduled” the words and thoughts of the day several weeks in advance, when looking at what events and themes were coming up on our calendar and in our studies.

Then came the surprise kitten!

Today’s word was supposed to be Focus. The thought was to be centered around becoming the type of person who could consistently practice PTC – Present Time Consciousness.

Scrap that plan! I’ll have to reschedule that idea.

On the fly, I decided to change our word to Flexibility! Not the bend-over-and-touch-your-toes kind! The “roll-with-the-punches and go-with-the-flow” kind.

The overwhelming desire to play with “Chloe” (kitty’s name, for now!) has caused us to cast aside the majority of our plans for the day.

As our thought of the day, we’ve been discussing how oftentimes a plan will be altered or wiped out all together. We talked about what type of people we’d like to be when that happens.

We each gave our opinion on the idea of choosing happiness over the plan. For example, I’ve really fallen short on my to-do list today. BUT, I’ve really enjoyed ‘hanging’ with the kids and watching them fall in love with a new animal. They’ve been more kind to each other in the process.

If we can ‘control’ the situation and make it better in some way in order to restore the plan, great! If not, move on. No biggie.

We’ve also been talking about how when plans change, even if we don’t understand why in that precise moment, typically the reason will be revealed at some point down the road… and it’s usually a pretty cool reason! My lack of “work accomplished” today has led to moments with the kids that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Cuddles win over plans every time!

Our quote today has been that famous bumper sticker, “We make plans and God laughs!” I love that one!

(Of course, I’ll need to balance this lesson with a future focus on the importance of being organized and a planner and a goal-setter!! I’m sure they’ll remind me that God is only laughing so why bother!)

Motion is Life ~ Cardio Work Out

September 23, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Today was a cardio work out day. I really should learn my lesson and do my run earlier in the day so that I have more time for longer runs again. I keep getting caught up in work, or cleaning, or teaching, or new kitties… then my run gets cut short.

I irk myself sometimes!

Today I went out for a 3.25 mile run. Good pace, athough I didn’t time it. I did some fast intervals (shy of sprints, though) and some joggish intervals.

Nice and muddy roads… just the way I like ‘em! Weird, I know. Especially since I’M the one who has to all the stain removing now!

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Exercise

Word & Thought of the Day ~ Responsibility

September 23, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

The newest member of our family.

I knew we were going to be bringing home our new kitty today, so I decided that an important word for the kids to learn today would be “Responsibility”.

Obviously, we talked about how important it is to take care of what we’ve been given or granted, whether it’s a pet, our toys, our homework, our homes, our children or our health.

We discussed how responsibility may sound like a lot of work, but how the rewards are far greater than any perceived “cost”. Responsibility is an investment in ourselves. Responsible people are respected. Responsible people are given more responsibility. With greater responsibility comes greater fulfillment and joy and the full development of our character.

That’s what the homies are learning in home school today!

Related Blogs

Filed Under: The Home School Life Tagged With: home school

Just One Thing ~ Simple Steps to Better Health

September 23, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online 2 Comments

Starting the day off in a healthy way

I know I’ve discussed this simple step before, but it seems important to repeat now that school’s back in full swing.

Make sure your kids have some protein (and healthy fats) with their breakfast, not just all the refined grains found in conventional cereal, bread, pastries, bagels, granola bars, etc. Give them something with substance!

We need protein for proper brain function – learning, memory, recall, as well as growth, balanced moods and emotions and countless other critical functions in the body and mind.

Protein doesn’t have to be hard. Eggs are an obvious choice. But you can also just give them a handful of nuts or some nut butter. Whole milk organic yogurt, kefir and other cultured dairy products can be acceptable sources of protein as well – they need to be as “clean” as possible though. There are plenty of non-toxic breakfast meats available now… a bit pricey, but they’re great to have on hand.I recommend keeping a hormone and steroid-free protein powder on hand for the times when “real food” just isn’t happening, or to add to recipes.

Around here we mix it up. Some mornings it’s breakfast meats like organic free range turkey bacon or chicken sausage. Sometimes it’s my “Protein Power Pancakes” loaded with eggs and sometimes a little extra protein powder. Other days it’s just a handful of raw almonds or almond butter on some whole grain toast, or a small bowl of whole milk kefir or yogurt with fresh berries.

Don’t forget to add your fresh fiber (ie. fruit) for an optimal start to the day.

Finally, smoothies are a great way for kids to get an extra boost of protein and other nutrients. We add raw eggs to ours, as well as fresh fruit, sometimes veggies, and the infamous fish oil!

However you need to do it, make protein a top nutritional priority in your kids’ mornings. The return on your investment will be tremendous!

For more kids’ breakfast ideas and tips, check out the new “Dr. Mom’s Healthy School Days Menu” at www.HealthySchoolDaysMenu.com .

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Kids' Nutrition Tagged With: healthy breakfast, healthy kids, Kids' Nutrition, Nutrition, protein, school lunch

Motion is Life ~ Resistance Training Work Out… Without the Weights!

September 23, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Gramps on a field trip with the kids.

The other morning I did a work out at my dad’s place. He no longer has any work out equipment at his place, so I did a “body weight” work out in my room while dad and the kids were still asleep.

It was a new challenge because I needed it to be a quiet work out and not take up much room at all!

The work out:

50 squats

25 push-ups

50 alternating front lunges

25 push-ups (staggered hands)

100 wide squats

30 dips

50 alternating front lunges

30 dips

50 alternating side lunges

50 squats

Abs: 100 Pilates-like scissor kicks, 50 butterfly crunches

100 fast-paced alternating front leg raises/knee raises

50 (each side) straight leg raises

Total time: 24 minutes.

Yes, you really can get an effective work out just using your body weight… especially if you choose big, global, functional movements that move multiple joints, and therefore more muscles, at once (e.g. lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.). Using more muscles and “big” moves burns more fat.

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: Exercise, fat burn, fitness, healthy lifestyle, resistance training, weight loss, work out

Word & Thought of the Day ~ Patience

September 23, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Copy of P1040706

Yesterday, our word and focus of the day was Patience.

I knew that after being gone for a few days, that getting back into a routine could potentially be a catalyst for sibling battles! These two spend a LOT of time with each other!

So, we started off our day talking about patience. (Funny how quickly I lost mine yesterday! That God can be such a funny guy!)

Anyhow, we discussed some of the classic points regarding patience ~ patience being a virtue, all good things coming to those who wait, etc. Really, I wanted them to understand, once again, that they play a direct role in their emotions. How they react to situations or other people is completely up to them.

So, a pretty neat thing happened for them last night. For a good part of the past year, the kids have been asking us if we could get a kitten. My husband and I have been dragging our feet on this for a variety of reasons. We’ve asked them to just “chill” with the asking… so they have (for the most part).

Yesterday, one of our practice members came in and told hubby about a “very cool kitten that you have to see.” Long story short, she IS a really cool little kitten… and she should be an official member of our family later today!

The kids are thrilled, of course! We made a point to tie in the word and thought of the day so they could see that patience doesn’t mean “it’ll never happen”… it just means “chillaxing” for a bit and staying positive… assuming the best. Taking a deep breath and slowing down on the reactions and trying not to force situations.

As usual, the lesson applies to ME as much or even more so than the kids!

Motion is Life ~ Cardio Work Outs

September 22, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

One speed!

Saturday we took off for a nice long family bike ride with the kids – pulling one in the bike trailer and the other on the “3rd wheel” behind the bike. They’re always good for adding some resistance to our cardio work outs!

We did about 19 miles.

My husband and I were both walking funny afterwards, so I suppose that means it was an effective work out! (Either that or the bike seats really hurt!)

Sunday I got some really great, completely unplanned cardio over at my dad’s place. He’s got a huge yard that worked out perfectly for my daughter to practice riding her bike without training wheels. We just don’t have the right set up at home to safely bike ride, so the kids rarely get to experience this kind of freedom… and this kind of practice.

I chased that kid up and down the property, dozens of times, trying to keep up with her as she got the hang of this new skill. She knows nothing about riding slowly… it’s all full-speed ahead! Hilarious!

I got a serious work out in just trying to stay with her, take video and prevent any major crashes! Who knew?! I think I should make a new “Run While They Ride” work out video!

Monday I did a sprinting work out. I felt the need to burn calories and melt fat! I’m not really sure how long I was out there, but I did intervals of 10 x 100 meter sprints, with half jog and half walk back to the starting point, followed by a few seconds of rest. I believe it was around 15 minutes… maybe a couple more.

Good work out.

Related Blogs

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: aerobic, burn calories, burn fat, cardio, Exercise, fitness, resistance, weight loss

Word and Thought of the Day

September 22, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Cutest little bird!

The last couple of days were spent over at grandpa’s house on a field trip excursion galore!

I knew that two of our field trips were going to involve nature ~ one was a Hawk Festival and the other was a trip to Point Pelee National Park ~ so I wanted to choose words and thoughts for the kids that were related to appreciating nature in some way.

I ended up with “Awe” and “Reverence”.

The accompanying thoughts had to do with teaching them to slow down and take in the “bigness” of it all. We talked about not always needing to fill up a space with our voices and our actions and our plan… but how sometimes it’s really nice to let the space fill US up.

We spent quite a bit of time ooh-ing and aah-ing over nature’s wonders in the last couple of days.

As a special little treat, another AWE-some moment for the kids was visiting a dog breeder who had two new litters of puppies – one litter was two weeks old (the kids got to hold and cuddle those) and the others were born about 5 hours before we got there! Talk about “awe” and “reverence” in children’s eyes! Wow! Happy little people!

A little something I read to the kids:

“The human venture depends absolutely on this quality of awe and reverence and joy in the Earth and all that lives and grows upon the Earth. As soon as we isolate ourselves from these currents of life and from the profound mood that these engender within us, then our basic life-satisfactions are diminished. None of our machine-made products, none of our computer-based achievements can evoke that total commitment to life.”

Thomas Berry

Source: The Great Work: Our Way into the Future, Page: 166..167

Related Blogs

Filed Under: The Home School Life Tagged With: appreciation, field trip, home school

Word of the Day & Thought of the Day

September 19, 2009 By Dr. Mom Online Leave a Comment

Today’s word of the day is “Effort”.

I chose it knowing that our son has soccer this morning and our family is going on a LONG bike ride this afternoon.

I figured it would be a good focus for a day like today. I like how sports and physical activity can easily teach lessons in character and life. At this stage, our kids “get it” if I can relate it to their sports and activities. Whatever works!

Some of the quotes we’ll be discussing are centered around the idea that all we really have control over is the effort we put in. I want our kids to understand that they need to give it their all in life (otherwise, why bother?), but NOT to get overly attached to the outcome.Sometimes, we’re just not in charge! (OK, most of the time!)

The journey can be far more noteworthy than the destination. Quite often, the process defines who you are more than the outcome.

Also, we’re reminding them that it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing, focus on what YOU’RE doing. Try as hard as YOU can. That’s all we can ask of ourselves. Only YOU know if you’re giving it your all… or short-changing yourself.

Yes, winning and ‘success’ are important – but not at the expense of being the best you can be. Sometimes you give it your all, and don’t get the result you wanted. Give it your all anyway. That’s what we’re trying to instill in our kids.

BE the person who plays full out in life! That’s TRUE winning and success.

Our quotes today:

If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. Thomas Edison

For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business. ~T.S. Eliot

The difference between try and triumph is a little umph. ~Author Unknown

Related Blogs

Filed Under: A Healthy Mindset, Outlook and Attitude, The Home School Life Tagged With: attitude

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Related Blogs

Stay Connected…

Dr. Mom Recommends…

Latest Tweets

Recent Articles

Tags

Subscribe RSS

Archives