The Sunday Parenting Party - Why I let my 4 year old ride in a buggy

As part of my new years resolution to lose wait and get fitter I am trying to find more time to exercise. Goblin and I spend a lot of time walking and playing outdoors anyway so I get a chance to exercise then. But some days he wants to stay in and play lego, build with blocks and read books. On those days I find it hard to fit in any me time, let alone and time for me to exercise.

So I decided to take advantage of the 'witching hour'. For us the hours of 3pm to 5pm are a bit tricky. Until quite recently Goblin would have a nap around this time. If we've been out somewhere on a play date he will still usually fall asleep in the car on the way home around 4pm. But if we are having a quiet day at home he will no longer go down for a nap. I used to deal with these hours by sticking him in front of the TV, but we are trying to reduce his screen time so I need to find other things to do.

If we have been in all day I have often used up my ideas and I'm also tired by 3pm. And that's where the buggy comes in. Or to be more specific the converted bike trailer. Goblin is over 20kg now and most buggies struggle with that weight, but the bike trailer works a treat. So I bundle him in and we go for a walk.

I'm not immune to the fear of being judged by other parents. I hate the idea that people will look at me pushing my tall 4 year old in a buggy and think I am doing this 24/7 and not ensuring my child has sufficient exercise. But I have decided that finding some me time to exercise is more important than fearing what others think. Plus I know that my son gets loads of exercise so why should I care if others draw the wrong conclusion because they are Judgy McJudgyson.

Pushing Goblin gives me a really great work out. It also gives Goblin a chance to rest (and even nap), and get some fresh air. So we'll see how my new plan works out.

*****

Some of the links I enjoyed from last week include

Its all part of the process ~ Stir the Wonder

Parenting a strong willed child ~ The Educators Spin on It

5 easy ways to encourage positive behaviour from children ~ Teaching little learners

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Welcome to The Sunday Parenting Party, hosted by Dirt and Boogers, Play Activities, Crayon Freckles, Taming the Goblin, The Golden Gleam, Prickly Mom, and The Tao of Poop. The SPP is place for readers to find ideas on nurturing, educating, and caring for children, as well as honest posts about the stresses of being a parent or caregiver. Links to reviews and giveaways are welcome as long as they are relevant to the topic. All parenting philosophies are welcome with one exception: please do not link to posts promoting physical discipline, as this is something we would feel uncomfortable having on our blogs. (P.S. By linking up you agree that your post and photos are Pinterest, Sulia, G+ and FB friendly. We will be showcasing ideas on The Sunday Parenting Party Pinterest board.)

Low calorie Kale and Watercress soup

139 calories per bowl

As part of my efforts to lose a bit of weight I have decided to make soups to take to work. I'm trying to limit the amount of carbohydrates I eat (this has been good in previous diets) but still make soups that are filling. My latest creation is pretty yummy, and has that weighty taste (and texture) that means you feel like you have had a proper meal. 

I used the following ingredients (Calories are estimates using google).

500g kale (165 calories)
2 bags (170 g) watercress (44)
3 small onions (18)
1 bulb of garlic (24)
3 leeks (162)
450ml veg stock (7)
300ml milk (100)
1 can petit pois (210)
2 tbsp oil (for cooking) (240)
2 tsp Bacon salt
Salt
Pepper
(Could pour chilli in)

I was rather pleased that the total soup came to 970 calories, and at two big ladles a bowl it served 7. That made the soup 139 calories per bowl. 

If you want to make this soup you will need a really big pot. 500g of kale is quite a volume but sweats down to a much smaller size. I sweated the kale with a little oil (1 tbsp). I fried the leeks, onions and an entire bulb of garlic (because I really like garlic). I added the fried veg to the kale and added a stock cube dissolved in 450ml of boiled water. I popped a whole can of petit pois in and stirred it all up and left it to boil for about 5 minutes. Then I added the watercress, left it a few minutes then took it off the heat and blended it with a hand blender - you are supposed to do this cold but I'm impatient. 
It was a little thick so I added 300ml of skimmed milk (which still leaves it as a pretty thick soup). And finally I added salt, pepper and some bacon salt to give it a little kick.  

The Sunday Parenting Party - time for 'that' new years resolution

It's 2014 and time for me to think about resolutions. Last year I was all about making parenting resolutions and trying to improve my parenting. But this year I am going to do something that is for me, but will also benefit Goblin. I'm going to try and lose weight - Yup that old chestnut!
When I was pregnant I got gestational diabetes. The diabetes nurse said that to avoid getting permanent type 2 diabetes I needed to lose about 2 stone (28 lb). About a year after I gave birth Hublet and I went on a serious diet and managed to lose a lot of weight. But over the last year or so I have put it all back on. In fact I am creeping back up to the weight I was just after I gave birth, which was the heaviest I have ever been.
The thing is I'm not too bothered about how I look. I'm sure many people would not find my lardy body attractive but I don't mind the curves and as long as I can find clothes that fit I'm going to feel OK with myself. I also love food, and unfortunately I use food as a comfort blanket. I eat when I feel down, and often I feel down because I am overweight. What do you do when you feel down about being fat - have a cream cake. I bet half of you are nodding and the other half are going "why on earth would you do that?". It took me a while to realise that different people have different relationships to food. Mine is a friendly but unhealthy relationship and that is something that I need to work to change.
I have been ignoring the health issues around my weight. Its not just the risk of diabetes, I'm also on Statins for high cholesterol (a hereditary disorder in my family). So I owe it to myself, my husband and my son to make an effort to get my weight under control and get fitter so I don't die of a heart attack before Goblin finishes school (My Dad had his first when I was 14).
I'm writing this post in the hope that you readers will keep me in check and embarrass me into staying on the straight and narrow - it would be pretty horrible to have to confess in six months time that I am as heavy as ever.
So wish me luck!

<center> <a href="http://www.tamingthegoblin.com/search/label/The%20Sunday%20Parenting%20Party"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/FJIJWl.jpg"/></a></center>

Welcome to The Sunday Parenting Party, hosted by Dirt and Boogers, Play Activities, Crayon Freckles, Taming the Goblin, The Golden Gleam, Prickly Mom, and The Tao of Poop. The SPP is place for readers to find ideas on nurturing, educating, and caring for children, as well as honest posts about the stresses of being a parent or caregiver. Links to reviews and giveaways are welcome as long as they are relevant to the topic. All parenting philosophies are welcome with one exception: please do not link to posts promoting physical discipline, as this is something we would feel uncomfortable having on our blogs. (P.S. By linking up you agree that your post and photos are Pinterest, Sulia, G+ and FB friendly. We will be showcasing ideas on The Sunday Parenting Party Pinterest board.)