Raising non-athletic kids

I came across this article from ‘playground dad’ on twitter. I thought it fit very well with the spirit that The Little Gym was founded on and it was worth a share. It talks about raising a ‘non-athletic son’, I do not have boys but I feel the points are valid to raising all kids, athletic and non-athletic. I consider myself an expert in non-competitive activities that happens to run a gym that uses gymnastics as its tool to grow skills. This article touches on a few points that can be applied to raising all kids, the only thing I would add is to praise his/her strengths in a specific manner and not a general way (great job=bla, great job using the color purple in your drawing=specific and good).

Enjoy and thanks for reading.

Slater

Raising non-athletic kids

Summer Camp is ON!!

Enrolling for Summer Camps at The Little Gym of Edina is going on NOW!

http://www.thelittlegym.com/EdinaMN/Pages/camp-schedules.aspx

We all know how busy the Summers can be for parents. Why not drop your children off for Summer Camps at The Little Gym of Edina for 3 hours of endless activity! Our Summer themed camps include; Secret Agent: Gyms Bond, Sky Rangers, X-treme sports of all sorts and Lights, Camera, Action. We promise to keep them active with gymnastics, movement challenges, music, Themed arts and crafts and plenty of smiles! This will allow you the opportunity to enjoy 3 hours of crossing some things off your Summer To Do List!

Summer Camps at The Little Gym of Edina will be offered starting June 10th through Aug 23rd from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Monday-Thursday and 11:00am-3:00 Friday.  Space is limited, so what are you waiting for???

Call us to get registered at (952) 924-0083, or visit our website at

 http://www.thelittlegym.com/edinamn

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Slater

Healthy Chores...For Kids

The next 4 weeks belong to a learning unit that will focus on encouraging an all-around healthy lifestyle through our gymnastics. Using fun gymnastics and fitness challenges, your kids will focus on the "chores" involved in keeping one's body, mind, and home healthy and fit. The following weekly topics will bring more awareness to each child's personal responsibilities to keep their mind, body, home, and environment clean and healthy:

 

 • March 4th-10th : RESPONSIBILITIES. Let's learn about what this word means and how they apply in our community, in class, and at home.

• March 11th-17th : HEALTHY ME. Your children will have lots of opportunities in their gymnastics this week to build confidence in who they are as individuals. All of us are unique and it's important to teach kids to be proud of that!

• March 18th-24th : HEALTHY HOME. A parent favorite! Using our gymnastics to pretend and to inspire us to help with chores at home!

• March 25th-31st : HEALTHY WORLD. This week we focus on pollution. What it is and how to prevent it to keep our world clean and beautiful!

IPhone App......
As a photographer at heart I always like to keep up with photo apps. Whether it is an app to make the pictures look better, or a camera app to make the phone camera perform differently as the picture is taken, I am all about checking it out. I have always been interested in learning more about the person taking the picture, or trying to get a picture of the picture taker to help tell the story better. I have found an app that does just that. It is called the Dblcam, it allows you to take a picture with your iPhone, and then takes another picture with the phones other camera (front facing camera for most of us). So that would be a picture of you, the app gives you a second to re-frame your picture to include yourself (or not).
 
Check out the review.
 
Dblcam
 
Thanks for reading,
 
Slater
New Classes added to the Schedule
We are adding a few new classes to the schedule, here they are.

1) Hip Hoppers Tuesdays at 5:45pm and Thursdays at 1:45pm.

2) Birds Class Mondays at 12:15-1:00.

3) Beast/Super Beasts class Sundays at 9:00am.

Thanks for reading,

Slater
Hip Hop Dance class will be here SOON!!!

It has been a long time coming but we have finally did it!! Hip Hop dance will be offered on a limited basis at The Little Gym of Edina. I wanted to show what this class will look like on paper and in video. The link to the YouTube video is below.

 

Introducing Hip Hop Dance – Pre/K!

 

Here are a few informational points to get you familiar with the structure and flow of the program.

 

Here is a summary of the Hip Hop Pre/K Class Structure:

 

1. Opening Circle

2. Hip Hop Warm-Up

3. Hip Hop “Move of the Week”

4. Hip Hop Dance Progressions

5. Center Floor Combinations (Among other skills, the kids will learn a new Hip Hop Dance Combo for each Learning Unit! The combo includes all the “Moves of the Week” the kids have helped create during the Learning Unit. They then perform the Combo for the parents on the last day of each Learning Unit!)

6. Creative Movement (Gymnastics in the Gym) W-up/Gr. Act., Stations, Game, Closing Circle

 

The schedule of when the new class will be offered is still in the 'discussion phase' and will posted on our website soon. Most likely it will be Tuesday evening 5:45-6:45 and one other day around the 1:00pm time frame.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Slater

 

The Holidays are over....

It’s true, you can tell by the tired parents walking around that still need a vacation from their vacation. The resolutions have started and we are all back at the daily grind (or fun) of work. I just read a pretty good article about a present that was a success over the holidays that I thought I would share. Enjoy the read.

 http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/john-cave-osborne-jco-multiplied/2012/12/29/the-gadget-that-changed-our-lives/

Thanks for reading,

 

Slater

 

World Pneumonia Day

I found out today that November 12th is world pneumonia day. Pneumonia is preventable by vaccines and yet it still kills children every 20 seconds. It is known as the silent killer and we have the technology to save lives but need more funding. Here are some preventable steps we can take to start saving more lives and educate others on the silent killer.

World Pneumonia Day

Thanks for reading,

Slater

Bully-Proofing Schools

How can you give your child all the tools they need to survive? Schools, buses, playgrounds etc...can be traumatic experiences for the timid and shy kids. They can even be traumatic for even the self-confident kids who seem to be well adverse in handling difficult social situations. What makes one child so "mean" and "aggressive" and others so "quiet" and timid? I think it is safe to say that it is how the kids are wired from birth, like it or not, but we can change some behavior and form new habits that are life changing. It seems like "Bulling" is a hot topic is schools right now and the only thing hotter is how to stop it. Teaching kids self-confidence can help, and we certainly build self-confidence at The Little Gym of Edina but the other major component that seems to be missing is conflict resolution. There is a program that is starting to gain some steam in the "Bully Prevention" arena, although they do not say "we prevent bullying", they will tell you that the "anti-bullying" is an outcome of their curriculum.

 

Playworks' success rate on the topic of "Bullying" is off the charts and everyone wants to know what their magic bullet is in bully prevention. The magic bullet is so simple that it is overlooked, it’s called engagement.

 

Please read the article on Playworks that was addressed to me.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Slater

Bare Feet in the Gym.....Why?

Here is a little Foot Education.

 

As you all know, we prefer your child participate in our class with bare feet. Playing in bare feet helps strengthen all of their foot muscles. A child learning to walk receives important sensory information from the bottom of their feet. It is important to allow your child to go barefoot regularly to help them develop balance, coordination and posture. This week in class we brought some awareness to their ‘Tender Tootsies’, the role they play in your child’s development and their ability to balance! Your child’s feet undergo many changes as they grow – some of which help facilitate the locomotor stages your child goes through. Flat feet are normal in a young child due to weak muscle tone in the foot, a generous padding of fat and loose ankle ligaments that permit the foot to lean inwards. As your child masters walking, the ligaments and muscles will strengthen and the fat pads in the arch area won’t be so noticeable. By around five years of age, your child should have normal arches in both feet.

And you thought the only reason we had the kids go in bare feet was so we could tickle them and give them stamps!

 

Thanks for reading,

Slater

How Much Halloween Candy
Now that the day is finally hear it has been interesting to listen to all the talk in the lobby of The Little Gym about
how much candy they allow their children to have for Halloween. I have heard all opinions ranging from:
1) "Let them eat as much as they want for 2 days and then take it all away (toss, give away, donate etc..)
 
-Pro's are the kids learn about managing their intake because if they have too much they will get sick, AND it is over in 2 days.
-Con's are you have to deal with the clean up if they do eat too much.
2) "Two pieces a day until all the candy is gone"
-Pro's are the candy intake is limited to 2 pieces a day.
-Con's are it could go on forever......
3) "Let them have a little each day after Halloween and when the kids go to sleep I usually toss a bunch in the garbage until the pile is gone"
-Pro's are they actually will not get that much candy in the long run.
-Con's are living with the guilt when they ask you where all the candy went in the morning and you say "I don't know"....or ...."I threw it away"
There is really no right or wrong answer, it's just fun to hear all the different opinions. Here are some more hints about limiting the intake of candy on Halloween.
Halloween Candy
 
Thanks for reading,
Slater
Trick or Treat
As a parent I always feel weird telling other parents how to parent or what to watch out for. I figure if you made it this far with your kid
you know what is safe and what is unsafe for your child. What caused me to write this post is a small fact listed in this article on line 8.

 "children are four times more likely to be hit by a motor vehicle on Halloween than on any other day of the year"

Wow, that seems high to me, but I guess it just means it is the one night a year everyone goes outside and walks around in costumes that are hard to run in,
walk in, see out of and even breath easily from. So maybe it does make sense.

Halloween can be a magical night for all included, the kids the parents, the houses, everyone. I always have fond memories of  when each one of my 3 daughters
finally got up the courage to ring the scary doorbell, stick out the candy bucket and say "treat or treat" and get their candy. You can almost see the battle going on in their head...
"oh I really want some candy......but I am too scared to ring the doorbell......maybe I don't want the candy after all.....yes I do...ok ring doorbell and say 'trick or treat'
 and then run to dad....I can do it..."
The look on their face is priceless when they pull of this trick for the very first time. It is such a sense of accomplishment for a young child and who would think it would
be a self-confidence booster?
So here are a few tips to keep it safe this year!
Thanks for reading,
 

Slater
Some Benefits to The Little Gym are…….
Making physical activity fun is the best way to encourage children to form healthy habits. If you want to learn more about the benefits that “Serious Fun” can offer your child, check out our new white papers at THE LITTLE GYM. You will have the option to download the PDF from The Little Gym Internationals website.
Thanks for reading,
Slater

http://www.thelittlegym.com/whitepapers
Already Cold/Flu Season
It seems like the cold and flu season got ahead start on us this year. I am not sure how Minnesota has so many colds already this season, but it has regardless of the 75 degree temperatures. It seems obvious but here are some general guidelines to keep you and your family healthy.
1. WASH YOUR HANDS for at least 20 seconds with soap and water! This is probably the number one thing you can do to prevent illness. Be sure your children are washing their hands often or using hand sanitizer. I prefer soap and water and if you do use a lot of sanitizer get the alcohol free version. There have been stories of kids sanitizing their hands and then licking them right after. Apparently the kids absorb that alcohol right away and get sick pretty fast.
2. Don't touch your face. Even if germs are on your hands, they can't enter the body unless you touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Teach your children to not touch their faces either.
3. If your doctor recommends it, get a flu shot for your entire family! Often times doctor's offices have special rooms set-up in the fall just for giving flu shots. So, it's fast, easy and effective.
4. Don't share food, drinks, lipstick/chapstick or toothpaste with other people, even family members. Germs can carry from one person to the other easily.
5. Avoid kissing on the lips of you feel yourself getting sick. (This is especially hard with young children, but try to refrain. Also, try to avoid letting people touch your baby's hands as well.)
6. Clean doorknobs, bathrooms and children's toys with disinfecting cleaner often.
7. Yogurt has been shown to stimulate production of an immune system substance that fights disease. So, eat up!
8. Let fresh air into your home at least once a week even if it is extremely cold outside. Studies have shown that the air inside your home is 2 to 5 times worse than the air outside. Allowing fresh air in will help to get stale, unhealthy air out and fresh air in!
9. Get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of water so that your body will be able to fight off illness.
10. STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK! No need to spread your germs to others.

  Thanks for reading,

Slater
Dad's in charge of dinner! Yikes
I just read a great blog about Dad's in charge of dinner and how we try not to feed the kids cereal or hot dogs for dinner. It talks about going to Let's Dish to prepare the meal. I have used Let's Dish before with my wife, but never as a "Dad in charge of dinner".
A novel idea I must say! Have a read and enjoy,
Thanks for reading, Slater
http://www.theslackermom.com/2012/10/02/moms-night-out-dads-on-duty-lets-dish/#more-2205
ValleyScare
I like to keep this blog a family blog, and for some reason I always think family means children 5 and under. I have a family with a 16, 13, and 7 year old, so I guess in my own terms I do not have a family. But I do...My 13 year old went to ValleyScare this weekend and said she got the you know what scared out of her. The haunted houses are really scary and the walking dead people don't leave you alone after they scare you and you scream. Usually you scream and they leave you alone, but not at ValleyScare, they keep following you. My daughter said the rides at night were really fun and since there was so much fog from all the special effects the roller coasters were even cooler because you were going in and out of fog while also being pitch black. She had a great time and wants to go back. I think the fact that my daughter choose to go on the crazy scary roller coasters instead of standing next to walking dead people and haunted houses it shows you how scary the haunted houses really are-she is usually not a roller coaster girl. If you are feeling gutsy and want to get really scared, I think this is the place for you.
 
Safe travels to ValleyScare for those you go :). 
Thanks for reading, Slater
http://www.valleyfair.com/halloween/
Reach and Swing
As a parent there is something special about watching your child perform their first reach and swing all by themselves. To watch them reach for something that they cannot touch unless they get a little jump is scary and rewarding for both the child and the parent. Once the skill is learned it is something they will repeat over and over and over for many months. As a teacher it is something I could watch for hours, well in fact I do watch kids daily perform the reach and swing. For some it is like an old dog with their favorite trick, for others it is new and the look of “I did it” is priceless and contagious. The video above is a 14 month old girl performing her first “reach and swing” , enjoy. Thanks for reading,
Slater
Things to do around town
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the crisp air, the relief from the sweltering summer heat and the normal sunsets and sunsets to help the kids sleep a little longer. One of my favorite things to do is to go pick honey crisp apples at Minnetonka Orchards. I like their set up, parking seems to be ok, they have apple donuts, carmeled apples and great hay rides. The kids can work on their body awareness and gymnastics skills jumping up for apples, avoiding rotten apples on the ground and running from a very few number of bee's. Get out their soon before I go and pick them all! Thanks for reading, Slater
 
 
http://www.minnetonkaorchards.com/
Parent Child Dance Classes
For all those parents interested in our parent child DANCE class. This video is for you! Enjoy. http://youtu.be/vSAL_98NwWY
3, 2, 1, Blast OFF
As our 3rd week comes to an end I thought I would take time to mention a few things about our classes and our program. We are still in our Learning Unit of “3,2,1, Blast Off” and have had a great start to the season. The first week or two of every new semester with kids gymnastics safety issues are reviewed (safety is our #1 rule) as we include and welcome new and old families to The Little Gym. We also spend this time reminding parents that if they ever miss a class they can call in advance and schedule a make-up class for their missed class. This is especially nice in the winter when you might want to call your own “snow day” and stay inside and have hot chocolate with the kids. We also like to remind parents that if their child gets older and wants to transfer into a different class they can do this at any point of the semester. It can be from a kids gymnastics to a kids karate or a sports skills class or just an older kids gymnastics class. The point is if you need to transfer we can help find a new class for you. The last thing I mention to families new and old, is our points system. When you enroll you get points, every time you buy something (classes, camps, birthday parties, pro shop items etc…) you get points and if you want to really earn points refer a friend and when they enroll you get 400 points. A free camp day is 620 points so by referring friend’s your points can add up fast, we have had plenty of moms with free birthday parties off of referrals alone. I personally get rubbed the wrong way when I am told about companies referral programs. If I like a program I will refer people and if I do not like a program I will go talk to the owner about it and let them know how I feel whether they have a referral program or not. Some people love referrals and referring people and many people ask how they can help. And it is in that light that I mention the referrals. If you want to help, please refer a friend and I thank you very much for it. I already know about how great our program is and I could go on for days about it, but when I do people usually fall asleep on me after about 5 minutes so I try not to do that anymore. If you love us, please refer us, like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter and all that other social media stuff I am trying to keep up on. Thanks and see you on the big red mat. Thanks for Reading, Slater
A few questions.....

A few common asked questions that are not on our website:

How much do the classes cost?

This is a common question and the answer is not really on the website. In general the cost is about $18-$20 per class depending on how and when you enroll. Our curriculum for the school year is built around 40 classes with new learning units about every 4 weeks within the 40-week period. While your enrollment can start any week, the ending options are either at our ½ season week (January 14-20th) or June 4-10th.

Yes we allow make-ups classes for missed classes.

Yes you can enroll during any week; you will be pro-rated for classes that you have missed.

Yes you have one other option for classes than the 40 weeks; the ½ season is 20 weeks.

What are our classes?

Basically we are a gymnastics facility, but so much more. While we use gymnastics to grow their physical skills, we are also growing other skills, such as social, emotional and perceptual. Our core philosophy in non-competitive in spirit where we encourage the kids to try their best not be the best. They are kids after all; we have many different age groups in order to offer age appropriate activities and expectations.

Can I try a class?

Absolutely, we understand how kids learn and it would be crazy for us to not understand how parents learn as well. Our introductory class allows you to try a class with no commitment. The cost is $20 to try one class, if or when you enroll that $20 will be deducted from your tuition thus making it free to you.

 

I could go on for days about all the things our classes can offer, if you are still reading this far down the paragraph that means you are still interested J and I think you can give us a call and we can answer the last few questions over the phone. 952-924-0083.

Raising a Citizen Kid!
Friendships provide children with so much more than just fun playmates! In fact, friends are essential for healthy psychological development. Many experts believe that a child’s ability to make friends is the single biggest predictor of their success later in life. Some even claim that it’s more important than IQ and grades. Programs at The Little Gym are purposefully designed to help children become “Citizen Kids!” by improving their social and emotional development. Songs, games, and activities focus on listening, sharing, and taking turns. Experiential learning activities help foster creativity, allow friends to solve problems together, and let them pass on knowledge. Throughout the Season, we have special themed weeks to celebrate your child’s friendships. Our Bring a Friend Week is meant to do just that- build friendships and confidence. Watch for our next Bring a Friend week.
New Years Resolution, what else?
"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 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 Minneapolis 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 952-924-0083 today! Other Ideas: Boost your blog’s visibility and interest by: • Including 1 to 2 links that will direct readers to other pages of your website. For instance, you might link “We’re still taking enrollments” in the closing paragraph to your class schedule page • Showing some photos of kids at your gym having a great time o Make sure Mom and Dad are okay with photos being taken! • Posting a photo of a staff member working with kids or even just a shot of a smiling staffer cleaning the gym after a class…a parent interested in enrolling won’t mind seeing that your gym is always kept clean!
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