Today, I'm not going to quote randomized control trials. I am just going to share with you what I see in our gym every week and some other anecdotal evidence that most of us see play out everywhere we go.
Your kids and grandkids are watching, even when you don't think they are. They pay attention to what you do, what you say, how you treat other people, and most of the other actions you take. By default, they are looking to us to show them what to do and how they should carry themselves. They imitate us.
We have a lot of parents in our gym. The kids range from newborns up to adult children in their 20s. Across the board, these kids want to work out with their parents or even when their parents aren't around. Sometimes the kids will team up together during the class and do their own workout in the back room. We are extremely kid friendly at our gym and probably once a week one of the kids will do the class with mom or dad. We appropriately modify the movements, just as everyone does at our gym. In addition to our summer camps and CrossFit kid classes, a few times a year we have a "kid only" workout.
You know what else they are watching? What you eat. Now I'm not going to tell you my kids eat chicken and broccoli even though I wish they did. There's still a lot of ham sandwiches and nuggets served at our house. But, we do encourage them to try new things and as they have gotten a little older there have definitely been more questions about what are better choices. They are starting to figure it out on their own, as we all must do.
When I was a kid, my dad was a football coach. I grew up in the weight room and at the football field. He lifted weights several days a week and ran 3-5 miles on the other days. When I was about 12, I started asking about getting stronger. He took me to the gym with him and I got started. I played football myself and continued to lift throughout high school and into college. As I got into my 20's, I took on several behaviors and made choices that were downright self-destructive. I got away from fitness, gained weight and was on a bad path mentally, physically, and spiritually. As I looked for solutions, deep down I knew that working out had always helped me. I leaned back into fitness and although it would be be another decade before I was able to get mentally and spiritually well, the example of fitness my dad showed me helped saved my life.
Our kids are always watching, show them how to live well.
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