Be Still! Sit down somewhere! No Running in the house! Stop being such a busybody!
I’m willing to bet you have yelled one of these go-to phrases at least once. My daughter might hear me utter these words several times in a day. The context is always important, but the truth of the matter is, we say these words more often than we think. We look at our kids and ask, “Where do they get all that energy?”.
That should be our first clue as to how we are all wired to GO! You don’t have to teach your kids how to be busy and rambunctious. They do that on their own.
Have you ever tried to fly in a plane with a mobile little one? That is the worst! My daughter was only slightly difficult when we flew with her as a 6 months old. It was about a 5-hour flight from Cali to Florida.
I had so much anxiety leading up to that trip. I dreaded having to fly with a baby in my lap part of the way. Turns out, at that age, it wasn’t that bad. She wasn’t that mobile, so my wife and I just had to keep her entertained and fed.
However, when we decided to fly when she turned one year, that was an ENTIRELY different story. A little bit of context, she was walking about when she was 10 months old. So the majority of the flight a whole two months later, she wanted to squirm off of our laps and walk around. And when she couldn’t she was not happy! We had to force her to sit in our laps and be still. You can already guess how well that went for us.
Likewise, our son cannot sit still for the life of him. Unless we’re out hiking and he’s in our Child Carrier hiking backpack, he wants to move. That means dancing, walking and running. It is just natural!
Up Is Down, Down Is Up
Most of our time as parents, we are trying to coax our kids to be still and stop moving. When actually, we should be encouraging the opposite. There should be little surprise our kids grow older and all they want to do is sit on the couch and play video games or watch T.V. We trained them well. We have turned our kids into these sedentary slobs with only burst of unsustained energy. We’ve turned them into these proverbial couch potatoes.
We should be encouraging our great balls of pure energy to be great balls of energy… go outside! Better yet, we should be SHOWING them. Our kids learn from seeing and doing (don’t you?), so let’s show, and do, with them.
You Are Well Trained
Even as adults, we are steady trying to slow ourselves down. STILLNESS is a new thing (or at least an old idea, repackaged). We talk about being present and taking everything in, as it is natural for us to be on the go.
As much as we like to convince ourselves, and others, that we are autonomous, self-thinkers and what not, we are what we eat. I don’t just mean that literally. I mean we are what we consume. If we have been told to sit and be still, and have been rewarded for it, then we are more likely to repeat that behavior.
Desk jobs reward us for our ability to sit down, be still, and focus on each task at hand. That’s not a knock. Desk jobs are necessary. Heck, some might think desk jobs are more desirable than the alternative. What’s important is the ability to separate the necessity of stillness and being sedentary for work, and the necessity of physical activity for quality of life and survival. You can eat and chew gum! I believe in you!
Retrain Yourself
Be still. Be Mindful. Meditate. Pray. There is a time and a place for ALL of that. I am a praying man myself. I don’t do nearly as much as I need to. But I recognize the benefit of silence, deep thoughts and prayers.
Some of my most profound thoughts and ideas come when I am engaged in physical activity, particularly running long distances, with no music, no podcast or audiobook, just me and my thoughts. In those moments, I can think things through, think deep thoughts and come up with some potential solutions.
Is it possible to be MENTALLY still, be MENTALLY sedentary, while being Physically Active? I would argue so!
What’s In It For You?
Most logical men are drawn to making things efficient. I love efficiency. If I could make something simpler while incorporating other tasks, and complete them all, perfect. So, here you go.
Family Time + Physical Activity = Crushing Dadhood
We have the same amount of time in each day. Let’s use it wisely. Don’t waste it sitting around ALL DAY. If you can “wear out” your kids natural instinct of being busybodies, spend time with them all the while being physically active…TRIFECTA!
Seriously, is there a deeper calling as a father? What you are able to instill in those young developing minds during these times cannot be understated. The proof will be in the pudding, but as long as we fight the good fight, we can all rest easier than if we do not.
Let’s teach this generation the right way!
Stay Motivated, Stay Healthy!