Physical activity.

My lovely son and I playing with a favourite car. Brum brum brum.

Husband,son and I went to a shopping mall outside of Bristol, on Sunday.Every year my parents give us John Lewis vouchers as they do for my Brothers and sister so we all make an annual Middle Class Pilgrimage to the department store, the only time any of us can afford to do so as we are all paying hefty mortgages! My assistant dog had a day off as she spends a lot of time being nearly ran over by my son in his walker or having board books thrown around her from a high chair height and she picking them up continuously until she or my son realise the game is getting silly.

We spent some time slowly walking through the levels of the store, mainly because both my husbands and my ankles are needing replacement and we can't move up a gear in walking but also because we like to make the most of spending our vouchers and if we are going to spend a relatively large amount we like to think, think some more, coffee and think, think about the future use of a chosen product, the now use of a product but more importantly the robustness of a product as our little man is getting active!!!!

He isn't walking yet, is that normal? He has just turned one. However he is standing and grasping onto a sofa in front of him, he can wiggle around on his bottom or tummy really well and zooms around in his walker. It won't be much longer before the Wii the DVD player, the TV remote controls need to be at a high level.

MY QUESTION: What is normal for a one year old child, are our illnesses restricting his physical development? My biggest concern is that my sons life is not impeded on because he has been landed the misfortune of having creaky parents, sure he loves books, he loves advanced books, he will probably read War and Peace by aged 2 but I don't want to think that he doesn't play, he doesn't climb trees, he doesn't splash in puddles or kick footballs or know how to play like a little boy should because his father and I can not show him how. Time to bring in the Uncles,Aunts  and 8 year old football mad cousin I feel!   

Getting our son active has been costly on our joints and health but so worth it, we don't care how ill or sore we are as we live for our unit, we have the view that you just have to deal with it to get any where in life, no one deals with it for you or will want to help a misery sad sack.He has 30 mins in the door frame bouncer every day (Tippeetoes is the easiest brand for weak or poor dexterity in hands, put child into harness on a bed and put the door frame clasp on bedroom door frame so you are not lifting child too far).This works the little chaps legs followed by 20 min periods of time in his walker which also gets him moving. My husband and I will also find odd ways of standing him up when we are holding him just to trigger those neurones into action that aid muscular activity for walking. I am 4 foot 11, my reach is that of an ant and so my way of practising standing with him is two fold:

1. Sat on the edge of a bed I put my bent arms under his arm pits, and place lower him vertically between my knees whilst resting my dodgy wonky hands and arms on my thighs, his feet are firmly on the floor. I sing "I'm a dingle dangle scarecrow" and it all makes it jolly good fun.

Here is my long suffering "Canine Partner" assistant dog celebrating at a party for my son. She is sporting her party hat here. Just put that in as it makes me smile. 

2. On the bed again (soft landing for boy if any thing goes wrong),using my old plastic knee, due for re-replacement any way,don't do this if the NHS has just forked out for a new joint for you, I sit said boy on knee with his legs either side of my knee, I bend my leg, he then takes his weight and I just bend my body so my head is behind him supporting him, bit of a headache at the end of standing practice but worth it as he giggles the whole time!

Dog is hiding under the sofa as here is our son on Christmas day in the dreaded walker that my dog hates!

I always feel that whatever a Mummy or Daddy want to do, no matter who they are, they find a way, it is some instinct in us that kicks in to do our best, to give the most to our offspring.  We don't splash in puddles but we get washing bowls and fill them up with water, sit on the bed with the bowl and play splashing with our hands, or throw plastic toys into the water with our mouths.Our son has a dog who although only listens to me, can catch a ball very well, maybe that feels like football, I mean you stand in a cold field for an hour getting muddy so surely it is similar.  He goes to the park, he brings back a buggy full of cones, he has had his first Pilgrimage to John Lewis and he had blooming £26 worth of books from Waterstone at the weekend so he can't complain  :o)

My husband and son stirring the Christmas cake and making wishes.  

                                       
Mummies and Daddies I think every one questions themselves, I think it is healthy to do so and shows care for our Children, I do have big concerns for my child but that is another blog. Good night people x

My father and me holding my son on his first birthday, with my tall nephew who is actually kindly sitting down,tall sister also sitting, you can see I am a big person trapped in a small persons body, thank you very much steroids! That is why my son is gigantic, it is in his genetic make up!