Last week of Summer Learning Series: Healthy Choices

Written by: Janae

I can hardly believe it’s the LAST week of the Summer Learning Series! True to tradition, it FLEW by way faster than I would ever think possible! If you have missed out on what we have shared this summer, just use the search bar to look for “Summer Learning Series” and you will find all of the fun ideas that have been shared by many of our blogger friends! It always amazes me to see the amount of creativity they bring online, every day.

With “Healthy Choices” being our last topic, I can’t help but think about the many ways we can be “healthy”. Some think of food choices, some think of exercise or mental health. Health can mean all of these things, and more. For me, healthy choices comes down to taking a minute to think about what we are doing each day. It is so easy to get caught up in what is convenient. We live in a busy society and it is super easy to grab fast food, skip exercise or even ignore our kids.

As we try to do good things each day, we can easily make unhealthy decisions. I am guilty of this and I could beat myself up, but I have to remember to be patient with my effort. The difference to just getting by and feeling on top of my day, for me, is to take the time to plan out upcoming events. When I can do this well, I feel more prepared, and so do my children. Sometimes, I feel like it’s unfair because the mom really is the heartbeat of the family, and if I let my guard down for even one minute – everything seems to fall apart.

My goal for this fall, is to recommit to structure. The beauty of summer is that we don’t have to be so structured, but with school starting, I’m ready! Fall is always a type of “New Year” for me, as I believe it is for many moms. I’ll be talking a lot more about this in the future, because I’m asked how I juggle six kids at home – but today my first message would be to have patience. Healthy choices comes from taking the time to reflect and think about what decisions we are making, first. This is “Parental Resilience” protective factor, for me.

Is there anything that you feel like you need to change? Sometimes, one small fix can make a huge difference in your day. For me, I know I need to get to bed on time and wake up earlier. When I am able to do this one thing, I am more able to exercise and become more balanced before all the crazy starts. When we take the time to start with ourselves, it is much easier to focus on the kids. When I feel crazy, it ripples out into the family in many different ways. So first, accept who you are. You are the mom that your kids need. Nobody can replace you, ever. Don’t worry how other people find their definition of healthy. Stop, think, and find your own peace. This is the real definition to success!

This will be a process and look different everyday. I hope you’ve enjoyed the Summer Learning Series as much as I have! Remember, KBYU will have a wrap up party for Daniel Tiger’s “Be a Good Neighbor Day” and you won’t want to miss it!