Mummascribbles – Getting a four year old active again – Mummascribbles

This is a collaborative post

To say the last few months have been hard on Zach would be a bit of an understatement. First he had the arrival of his little brother, who he loves to Jupiter and back (his words), but who rocked the world that he knew. We then had a variety of colds buzzing around the house, some worse than others and now we have had two back to back cases of chicken pox which left us housebound. He missed nursery, he missed gymnastics, we couldn’t go out for walks, couldn’t go to soft play. It’s been a bit of a nightmare and it has also left me with a bit of a lazy boy.

Zach has always been full of energy. He learnt to run before he could walk and getting him to walk and not run has always been nigh on impossible. Being stuck indoors with illnesses, with a mumma who couldn’t even sit down properly for two weeks after giving birth, let alone get up and actually do anything, along with some nasty weather, has meant that there has been a lot of television and I hate to say it, but a lot of iPad too. I have noticed since Oscar was born, that Zach’s get up and go has, well…got up and gone!

I therefore need to up my game. Ok, so I am still stuck at home with a chicken pox ridden baby but he’s had it for over a week now and so I know it is on its way out. The spots are clearing, his temperature is back to normal and whilst he has got another rotten cough and cold, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Next week, fingers crossed, we’ll be back to usual – back to having the ability to actually leave the house all together.

I need to get him out. I need to get him into the fresh air. We have the most gorgeous country park on our doorstep which is my favourite place to go. When we moved here, I envisaged going for gorgeous walks with him on his bike, or his scooter, or simply just running along at a pace that I can’t keep up with.

Instead, I have a boy who does a bit of scooting and then gives up. Or spends 5 minutes on his bike before he’s tired and can’t be bothered anymore. It takes me longer to get him dressed and out of the house than it does to actually take a walk. Everything is an effort for him and this is a habit that I want to break.

I am therefore limiting tv time. First thing in the morning, absolutely fine – we all need some time to wake up properly and eat our breakfast. At 9am the latest, the tv is going off and we are going to play. He has so many toys that he just doesn’t play with so every morning that he is home with me, we’ll have some scheduled play time. If I have to breastfeed Oscar whilst sitting on a cushion on the floor while we are doing a giant jigsaw then so be it.

I am also going to get us out of the house on a regular basis. Monday’s are a bit tricky because he has gymnastics at lunchtime so we have to eat and leave relatively early. This doesn’t mean we can’t get out into the garden though (weather permitting). He’s normally pretty tired after gymnastics so there is never any pressure to spend the afternoon being active but I will make sure play happens and not just tv.

Wednesdays are a completely free day so I am going to make a conscious effort to get him over to the park. The scooter can easily fit on the pram so I’ll take this with us too – the bike is a bit harder if he gives up on riding it halfway there! If the weather is pants then soft play it is – especially now Oscar quite likes it too!

Fridays, I am going to start him back at Dinky Dancers which is at one of our local children’s centres. It’s 45 minutes of constant movement, only costs £2 and he loves it! 

Tuesdays and Thursdays he’s at nursery which always knackers him out! 

Finally, he keeps asking to go swimming so we must. Screw the cold weather…it’s time to get him back to the pool at the weekends (when a few more of the lingering chicken pox spots have gone!).

It is my job as his mum, and currently his main carer, to make sure that he is active and healthy. That he hasn’t been watching too much tv and sitting on the sofa. Yes it’s been hard with a new baby and the continuous illnesses but now everyone is getting healthier, it’s time to buck up our ideas and enjoy the days we have together before my maternity leave is over!