Want to have a kid? Get your track shoes ready!

Ready, set, go!

So you and the wife have decided to have a kid or two.  How's your health?  Have you taken a stress test lately?  Do any cardio exercises?   Maybe you should.  From the moment your child is born the clock is ticking.  Want to reminisce the moment of your child's birth?  Forget that, the baby has a feeding due in twenty minutes.  Want to enjoy his first steps?  Nope, it's time to rush to the store to get the right shoes.  Looking forward to your toddler's experiences in learning?  Oh well, time to get Junior to the Pre-K.  Having a kid is hard work.  These silly commercials showing moms and dads sitting around and watching their kid grow up is pure fantasy.  If you are not planning ahead then you are holding Junior back.  So get in high gear!

The fact of the matter is most parents don't foresee or plan for their child's development.  And even before Junior comes out of the womb, he is developing.  So you are already behind the curve.  One of the worst catch phrases out their is, "I think it's time to settle down and have kids".  It should be, "I need to clear my schedule to have some kids".  Unlike you, everyday your kid is growing, learning and developing new skills. If you are not providing an environment for these things to take place, then you are preventing Junior from becoming all he can.  In America, we have the "Great Babysitter" also known as the television.  Yes, Junior's mind is being engaged by the TV but his body is sitting idle.  But mom and dad need some down time, right? Well that may be true, but Junior's body has one gear.  Junior's body needs to go full throttle every day until his body says, "nap time".  Don't let your kid's first experience with the great outdoors come at school. Want to prevent allergies?  Expose Junior to the outdoor air and all it's pollen little by little. His mind is expanding at a rate that is hard to comprehend.  If the only new information he is exposed to is something that Patrick tells Sponge-Bob, you are wasting a precious mind.  If he can read on a 1st grade level, then you need to get off your butt and find him some 2nd grade books.  Want Junior to interact well with the other kids and teacher?  Then have him interact with other kids and adults on a regular basis.  Success is never an accident. It takes planning and vision to make a successful kid.

Speedy Dad provided by flickr.

So parents, get your track shoes on and get in high gear.  Yes, take a minute every once and a while and savor the moment.  Then get back to the race.  Eighteen years will fly by.  Will you just sit back and watch it pass by or will do everything you can to make the most of it?  Junior is watching and he is taking notes. He will definitely remember if his mom and dad did all they could to keep up with him.  And you will have the satisfaction of knowing you put forth every effort to make him all he can be.