Baby to Big Boy: Lifetime Play Area

I have been talking about how my little guy is turning into such a big boy and how all the steps I thought were going to be a nightmare really haven’t been as bad as I anticipated! Many of the things I have done have been in preparation of Cody starting preschool (which is QUICKLY approaching)!!!! First, we started with a big boy class at The Little Gym, then big boy swim lessons (both without mommy) and then it was leaving him at Lifetime Fitness play area.  I wanted to take small steps so that leaving him for 2.5 hrs two times a week wouldn’t be such a huge shock for him or me :)

Let me tell you… they have all been big steps for him, but the biggest step was leaving him at the play area. I have been a SAHM pretty much since he was born and haven’t left him with anyone other than family. Once I was comfortable enough with TLG and he was doing great with his big boy classes, I decided to go to the store during his classes which was a HUGE step for me!! Hey, it is hard to leave these little guys! They are just SO darn cute!!

Letting him loose at Lifetime was a whole other ball of wax. I had been wanting to do it since we joined because how awesome would it be if I could work out ALONE!!!!!??? I am a little (ALOT) overprotective, so I made small steps toward the goal of dropping him off. I showed up unannounced to see what the kids and workers were doing, talked with the lead girl there and also met a mom at bible study who worked there for a bit and questioned her like mad! After all was said and done I took the plunge!!!

We had talked about it ahead of time so Cody knew that mommy was going to work out and he would be in the play area without me. Leading up to this, I would take him there before swim class to play while I stayed in there. I think this helped him acclimate to the area and get to know some of the “teachers”. Once I realized he was comfortable there, the next step was easy right?! Just drop him off and enjoy my time working out?! Well, let’s just say that first time I could hardly work out because I was so distraught with worry and I was in the bathroom more than anything…. what can I say, I have a nervous gut!!! Thankfully, both my kids were happy as can be when I went in there to pick them up and Cody did not want to leave!!! SUCCESS!!!!

It has gotten much easier for me as time has passed to drop them off there and it has been great for me because I get some MUCH NEEDED ALONE time!  I really have loved all the people who work there with the kids and they have a great system. I will say, it isn’t easy in the beginning, but in the end it is SOOOO worth it!! Worth it for me to be alone and for the kids to be away from me and get some of their own time!