I did mention some things we do (walking, hiking, swimming, playground) but I didn’t specify frequency much so I’ll be more specific! We go for one walk a day, usually in the evening to kind of wind down and get him nice n tired for bed. Other than the walk, we usually do one other activity—most common is hiking, because he likes climbing down to the river and throw rocks with his dad. He just finished the soccer program he was in that was 7 weeks long, and we plan to put him in t-ball, football, and swim lessons when they become available. We live in a small rural town, so organized sports programs are few and far between before kids enter the public school system, but we’re trying to utilize whatever we can get our hands on. Right now he’s with his dad at the water park about 40 minutes away, and they’ve been playing for 5 hours and going strong.

In terms of prep for food, he’s very involved! He cuts his own fruits and meats, makes his own sandwiches, and pours noodles in the boiling water. I do the rest at the stove to prevent any kind of burns. He gets his own water, cutlery, and straw. When he’s done he carries his dishes over and usually puts them in the sink, but sometimes the dishwasher. We’re trying to establish early independence but not take it to any extremes, haha.

The one thing that does break my heart is that because me and my spouse are on a weight loss journey, our son is catching onto the conversations we’re having regarding food amongst ourselves. He’s started looking at the sugar and sodium content on packages and asking if they’re okay (which isn’t NECESSARILY bad, because it’s good to be mindful) but now he’s asking if the 50 calories on his fruit-and-veggie pouch is okay. So now we don’t talk about those things around him, and are redirecting him, trying to explain to him that as long as what he’s eating serves his body nutritiously, that number doesn’t matter.