The Little Gym of Lexington East
3101 Richmond Road, Suite 309
Lexington, KY 40509
(859) 266-2266

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"Parenting Resolutions" for the New Year!

Each New Year is a new opportunity to focus on making positive changes in your life. While this is a great habit for everyone, it’s especially important for parents. Why? Because the choices that you make not only benefit you, they have a direct effect on your child’s health, too! Here are 3 parenting resolutions to consider for 2012: 1. Instill a love for physical activity. Physical activity provides countless benefits. So, it’s important to help your child develop healthy habits at an early age. In addition to gymnastics, The Little Gym has several physical activities for kids, such as Sports Skills, Karate and Dance, which can help your child develop a love for an active lifestyle. 2. Establish healthy eating habits. Keep healthy, yummy snacks on hand and set an example for your child with your own food choices. Plan low fat meals that follow the government's MyPlate guidelines and involve your children in meal planning and shopping. This allows you to reinforce your child’s healthy meal options and helps children discover new foods and flavors. 3. Focus on your child's positive behaviors. Like adults, children respond to favorable comments and adopt behaviors that gain them attention. Try to get in the habit of catching your children “at their best.” Providing encouragement for good behavior or for achievements in sports or other physical activities is a great way to motivate children to maintain good habits. While you help your children develop healthy habits, don’t forget to make resolutions for your own health as well. In fact, consider resolving to get some well-deserved “me” time this year. Planning some time away from the kids should be considered a necessity rather than a luxury. Plus, brief separations are beneficial for kids as well. Time away helps foster a feeling of independence and builds bonds with other adults such as grandma, a favorite neighbor, or The Little Gym instructors. And if you need a parents night out, our Parents’ Survival Nights have got you covered! As we start the New Year, we’re thrilled to have helped so many children in the Lexington area develop an appreciation for fitness and fun with our kids gym classes. We’re still taking enrollments for students that want to join for the second half of the 2011-2012 Season. For more information, or to schedule a free introductory class, please contact a team member at (859)266-2266 today!

Tips on how to make bed time easier!

As parents we all know how difficult bedtime routines can be. These tips from Parents magazine offer some help on making the transition to bed a little easier. We want your little ones to be well rested so that they can do their best at The Little Gym!!

Set a specific time and stick to it. Your child's body clock will adjust much more quickly to the routine if the routine follows a natural and consistent pattern.
Give a warning. Just before bedtime, give your child advance notice that the day is winding down. Your child may be too young to judge time yet, so saying something like "five more minutes" is not likely to be understood. Instead teach your child by association. Begin the first part of your routine -- running the bath water, putting the toys away, or however your particular routine begins to signal the start of the wind down. Some parents signal impending bedtime with the ringing of a kitchen timer for five minutes; the child learns that the sound means bedtime. This allows an impersonal third party to announce bedtime and reduces the desire to complain, since even a toddler knows that you can't argue with a machine.
Offer a snack. A light snack that includes both protein and carbohydrates -- for example, a small piece of cheese and one half slice of whole-wheat bread -- will induce sleep and help her stay asleep through the night. The carbohydrates make her sleepy, and the protein will help keep her blood sugar level on an even keel until breakfast. Be sure to brush her teeth after she eats.
Give your child a warm bath. By raising your baby's body temperature slightly, you'll make him more prone to sleepiness. Also, playing with his bath toys allows him to relax.
Get dressed for bed. Choose comfortable, non-binding pajamas, that are neither too warm nor too light.
Read a favorite story to your child. This is a particularly comforting routine for your toddler, particularly if it's a favorite story that's associated with bedtime, such as Goodnight Moon. (As your child grows, he'll want more stories and more variety.)
Play soft music while you read. It's okay to let the music play as the child drifts off.
Make sure your child has a friend to sleep with. A favorite doll or teddy bear provides comfort.
Limit or eliminate bottles. If your child needs a bottle to fall asleep, make sure it contains only water. Milk, formula, or juice can pool around her teeth causing cavities, even in infants.
Keep last "goodnights" brief. Say "goodnight" when it's time for you to leave the room and try not to come back if your child calls for you. This sounds harsh, but if you keep coming into the room you will have taught your child that "If I call to Mommy, she'll come back." Kids learn how to "condition" parents very quickly! Any hesitations on our part may be picked up by your child as an indication that maybe you really aren't serious about this bedtime business and if she yells loudly enough you'll come back and play some more.

The benefits of gymnastics for children!

We found an interesting article on Livestrong.com that we watned to share with you detailing the benefits of gymnastics for children. We get to see the results every day but for those of you who arent sure, here is some more proof!