Happy Wednesday,

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season and a great start to the New Year! We don’t have our daughter in daycare or with a nanny, so we try to get her out to various kid friendly events as much as possible so that she’s still socializing. Yesterday, my wife took her to her first gymnastics class and she was such a fan. She still isn’t quite ready to walk without leaning or holding onto something yet, but she loved crawling around and meeting some of the other kids that were all between 1 and 2 years old.

What are some kid friendly events that you and your kids go to? Let me know!

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Trending Stories & Insights

• New year, same me? At this time of year, we’re all used to hearing about resolutions and the things we plan on doing differently this year. But what about the things that we certainly won’t be doing? Here are 12 parenting resolutions that we won’t be keeping this year

• Toxic behaviors: It’s clear that some parenting behaviors can actually be more toxic than good and have long term affects on kids. Here’s a list of 15 - do you have any others to add?

• This is a democracy: When I was a kid, I remember being told “sorry, but this isn’t a democracy, you don’t get a vote.” I think I turned out okay, but might a more collaborative approach to parenting actually help to foster better decision makers?

Tip of the Day

• The puffy coat dilemma: Now that it’s winter, kids are getting bundled up in their puffy jackets, but what implications might these have for car seats? We live in Texas so this is something we don’t have to deal with as much as my wife and I did as kids growing up in colder climates. Here’s some advice from Consumer Reports. TLDR: it’s probably best to remove their jacket before buckling them in

One Big Idea

The Daily Workout of Modern Parenting

Parenting is often perceived as an endless cycle of nurturing and care, but as parents, we sometimes overlook the importance of nurturing ourselves, especially through exercise. Fortunately, parenting can unexpectedly double as a rigorous fitness regime, particularly for those of us with young children. This might come as a surprise to many who, amidst the chaos of raising tiny humans, seldom find time for traditional gym sessions. Yet, a closer look at our daily parenting tasks unveils a series of unplanned, yet intense workouts. We often find ourselves performing 'gentle-parenting squats' numerous times a day, squatting to engage with our infant’s ever-changing needs. When you think about it, most activities we undertake daily are, in essence, exercises. So, don’t worry if you’re not hitting the gym every day; parenting involves a series of physically demanding exercises that contribute to our overall fitness.

The modern parent’s workout goes beyond mere physical exertion. Consider the 'playground-rescue body contortion', a true test of flexibility and strength as we navigate through child-sized mazes to ensure our child's safety. Or the 'parking lot sprint', a sudden burst of speed fueled by the primal instinct to protect. Each of these activities, though seemingly ordinary, engages different muscle groups and tests our endurance, much like an abstract exercise program. Even less dramatic tasks, such as the 'toy-under-the-couch leg sweep' or the 'bath time backbends', work various muscles. And after a day filled with such 'workouts', the 'couch-flop' becomes a very well-deserved recovery time. For young and new parents, it’s heartening to realize that while we may not be hitting the gym, we are indeed engaging in a form of physical activity that is both demanding and rewarding, shaping not just the lives of our children but also enhancing our own physical well-being.

Here’s a dad joke

What does a lemon say when it answers the phone?

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