How to Blame Your Kids For Everything
If there is one thing we’re all good at, it’s blaming someone else for our shortcomings. You only think your kids are ruining everything.
You only think your excuses are clever and one-of-a-kind. Here, let me show you the Top Five Excuse I Hear Out Of Every Parent Who Can’t “Make The Time To Work Out”
- “I feel terrible about leaving my kids with childcare to go to the gym.”
- “Working out at home is impossible - my kids are all over me all the time!”
- “With all their sports and activities, I don’t have time for my own fitness.”
- “Parenting leaves me too drained to work out.”
- “Trying to eat healthier is just another thing on my to-do list, and I can’t even keep up with the one I already have.”
I hear at least one of these every day, word for word, and they never surprise me. If I had a dollar for every parent who told me how guilty they felt for leaving their kids so they can go to the gym, well - I certainly wouldn’t be blogging about it.
And if I were blogging about it, I would do it with a fruity tropical drink in hand while sitting on the balcony of my seaside villa.
Of course, parental guilt is totally a thing. But I don’t think that’s what is really going on here. As a mom, I absolutely want to be present for my son, but I never use him as an excuse to deprioritize my well-being.
What you call guilt, I call an excuse. The result? You’re leaving yourself to wallow in the Dead Sea of Fitness Goals with so many others who are just floating along. I have a great view of it from my seaside balcony. While I love every one of you, I’m not about to rush out to pull you into shore - I just put on fresh sunscreen!
On the other hand, I will throw you a life jacket made out of questions you seriously need to consider:
- Have you NEVER left your children? Let’s be real: when you and your partner need a date night to do adult things, you have zero problem dishing out cash for a sitter. You do it for yourself and for the health of your relationship. Why not apply the same rules to your personal health? Let your kids run around the child watch area while you go lift some weights. Trust me; they might be just as excited to get rid of you for a little while. They’ll be fine.
- Are your kids really all over you, 24/7, at the house? Not just during your workouts, but...all the time? All the time? If so, then they have next-level attention. Most kids aren’t interested in watching you work out for more than five minutes before they realize how boring it is. While you may be a loving parent, you are nowhere near as interesting to them as their iPad or Minecraft. Furthermore, while you might not get an at-home PR with kids hanging around you, it is better than no workout at all.
- Can you say, seriously, that you have ZERO hours left in the day to make yourself a priority? Follow-up question: can you believe the fight between Jackie and Teresa on Real Housewives? I love my TV time just as much as anyone else, but what if you switched out one episode three or four times a week just to workout? Also: you can watch anything on-demand. When it comes to watching TV or working out, time is literally not an issue or an excuse anymore.
- How is your energy? Sure, parenting is a 24-7-365 job. I get it. Kids’ demands are exhausting and all-consuming, and there isn’t much room for breaks - meaning you need to exercise now more than ever! Exercise dishes out those healthy endorphins that directly impact your mood, energy, and confidence. When you take the time to eat right, move lots, and rest, it gets easier to give more as a parent.
- Where are YOU on your to-do list? The very idea of the to-do list is what you need to get done, and the most important things are right at the top. Why are you not at the top of your own to-do list? Hell, why aren’t you even on your own list? You aren’t any good for anyone else if you can’t take care of yourself first. Prioritize YOU.
Guilt is the riptide that will suck you under. Fortunately, you already have everything you need to break free and discover the feeling of wellbeing you deserve.
I invite you to write down your favorite excuses, pack them into a little bottle and throw them out into the Dead Sea of Fitness Goals. Then, join me on the balcony and see what things are like when you make yourself a priority.
