Years ago, being a parent of the millennium seemed like it would be a dream– jet packs, hover boards and of course, Rosie the robot– easy peasy.
But the truth of being a tech-family in the millennium is: 1. We do not live like the Jetsons. and 2. As much as Technology advances us and is a total blessing in so many ways; it can also keep us “too busy”. Sometimes we need a friendly reminder to SLOW DOWN and enjoy the simple things in life – like family.
Today, in addition to juggling day to day tasks and appointments, parents are finding it harder to fully “turn off” work because today work is mobile. So many of us spend our days living and breathing multi-tasking both work and family.
So When Do Families Get To Spend Active Time Together?
Merck Consumer Cares launched the Active Play Project with celebrity spokesmom, Elisabeth Hasselbeck to promote making time for active family play.
This week I had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with the Merck parent team, including Elisabeth Hasselbeck to discuss some ideas for active play and tips for how make this part of your schedule.
Here are some of the tips the group came up with:
- Schedule 15 minutes in your daily calendar each day to for active play with your kids.
- Try kicking off the day with some active play time vs. the typical “After you do X, we will play Y”. Kids tend to be more receptive to this and often will be better behaved through out the day when starting the day this way.
- Keep a “Play list” on your fridge with simple, quick play ideas– that way you aren’t scrambling last minute. Some great options are things like: an on-going puzzle, outdoor sports, taking a walk, etc.
- Volunteer as your child’s sports coach, yes Mom’s can be coaches or assistant coaches too! Though coaching in the past has been looked upon as a “Daddy job”, more Moms are starting to step up into the coaching role.
Saturday May 11 – National Family Playdate
This Saturday, May 11 is the National Family Playdate, encouraging parents everywhere to take the day and spend it with their family doing fun and active activities such as–
- Sports
- Bowling
- Hiking
- Biking
- Exploring a local park
To find fun and active things to do right in your neighborhood, Merck Consumer Cares has launched an extremely helpful website www.activefamilyproject.com which looks up activities in your area by zip code.
What are some of your favorite ways to participate in active play with your family?
Disclosure: I received product samples and a $100 gift card from Merck Consumer Care, and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Merck Consumer Care.
