Health Club Child Care Has it All Wrong

by Bev Sklar (Subscribe to Bev Sklar's posts)
Jun 18th 2009 12:00PM

Photo: californiafamilyfitness.com

You head to the gym with your young kids and sign them in to a packed, four-walled nursery with a television set. Then you walk out and jump on the treadmill. Do you see what's wrong here? Fitness habits start with the family, so why are kids stuck in a contradictory sterile box instead of being physically active like mom or dad?

Granted, three-year-olds should not be jumping on treadmills -- hello, risk management -- but health clubs should lead the charge for fit-friendly kid care. Just imagine if you saw Johnny chasing his friends on indoor monkey bars instead of spacing off on another dose of Cartoon Network.

Check out the Kidz Club over at California Family Fitness. Their indoor playset is amazing, and they offer an outdoor playground and a host of stimulating activities, too. CFF kids must be begging mom and dad to go to this health club -- an effective motivator. Yet for those of us stuck with the sterile child care rectangle, perk up your child's experience by attempting the Fit Family Assignment below.

Fit Family Summer Assignment: If older than a toddler, give your child a list of three or four fitness challenges they can complete (after teaching them proper form) while you're off sweating in the gym (crunches, squat jumps, push-ups, planks and more) and have them record # of reps per # of seconds. You do the same moves, too, then compare notes and progress over time.

Here's a workout log from the former hit show Shaq's Big Challenge to get you started.

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Comments (1)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Denise W 8-24-2009 @ 11:26AM

I am early childhood educator and my husband and I operate a full time childcare center serving about 100 families.
Many of belong to smaller health clubs. It is already a stretch for these independent clubs to offer care at all.
Although my children are school age, i still need to use on site care during the summer months.
I believe my children will always be impressed by the effort I make so that I won't miss my fitness classes.
Many of us are grateful for the basic care that our children receive there.
It is my responsibility as a parent to offer an active lifestyle for my kids. I promise you that my two children are already active in sports. Gymnastics, football, soccer , hip hop dance. Whatever is in Season!
Overall I do agree that some activity options could available. A thirty minute mini movement session duirng Moms class., right in the "Babysitting" room! . Even if they offer Kids fitness videos. Perhaps one caregiver taking the oldest to an empty studio for some dance or games. Realistically, that is assuming the proper age groups happen to be there that one hour and that there is more than one caregiver.
The health club has to decide what business they are in. childcare or adult fitness? Most are adult fitness driven. Again , I am grateful for a safe space for them to hang out in for an hour. That's why it is "ME TIME". At least in my family, everything we do seems to be "for the kids".
Thanks for your time.