Seven. That’s typically the amount of complaints that come out of my kids’ mouths when I tell them it’s time to go to CrossFit. Six. That’s the number of times I walked over to CrossFit kid prison in the middle of my workout to discipline my kids yesterday. Five. That’s the average number of toys I haul to the gym with me along with the car seat, diaper bag, gym bag, water, and snacks. Four. That’s how many gym buddies help me keep my kids in line on a regular basis while I’m working out. Three. That’s typically how many minutes late I am to the workout by the time I get my kids fed, dressed, and get the bags, toys, water and snacks packed. Two. That’s the number of times my middle child has bitten another kid in CrossFit kid prison. One. The amount of time (in hours) that I devote to myself instead of my kids in one day.
Incase you didn’t get the gist of it, bringing kids to CrossFit is hard. And my gym, CrossFit Apollo, is INCREDIBLY supportive when it comes to families. I know not all CrossFit gym’s are as accepting of children.
I have a fierce love of CrossFit, and I’m mediocre at it at best. Last year at one of my MOPS meetings, the speaker talked about how as moms we need to find what gives us rest. She emphasized that “rest” was probably NOT a nap for most people, but instead an activity that gave moms rejuvenation. For some women, that might mean alone time, reading, or shopping, but I immediately knew that my “rest” was CrossFit.
In the beginning, I brought my kids to CrossFit with me because I needed that hour for myself, and finding babysitting everyday just wasn’t practical and certainly wasn’t affordable.
Over time I have come to see the REAL benefits of dragging my kids with me to the gym, and while I think maintaining my own sanity is a perfectly valid reason in itself, it has been awesome to see my kids grow in so many ways.
First, they have learned that the entire universe doesn’t revolve around making them happy every moment of the day. That one hour in CrossFit kid jail has taught my kids to wait. It has reinforced that their behavior has consequences, as we have missed out on playdates and fun activities, when they have failed to wait patiently for the end of the class. My kids live very blessed lives that include play dates, trips to the park, the library, museum, camping, vacations, and a whole lot of attention for 23 hours of the day. They can and do WAIT for 1 hour of the day.
While they do have to wait, and indeed complain about going to CrossFit, my kids have also made some really good friends at the gym. I love when I look over and all of the kids are working together to build a lego tower taller than they are. I get all the feels when I see my once CrossFit Jail Biter share his favorite transformer with another kid.
But more than all of that I have seen how modeling healthy habits for my children on a daily basis has impacted their lives. 
“Dad, can I do the warm up with you today?”
“Mom, you had a lot of weight on your bar today while you were working out.”
“Dad, can we work on a new box jump PR {personal record} today?”
“Mom, I saw you doing your burpees. Did you see ME doing burpees?”
“I bet I can bear crawl faster than you.”
“Dad, I’m sweaty like you!”
This fall my oldest son starts Kindergarten. Just typing that still blows my mind. When I think about my kids starting school there’s a lot that comes with that- grades, sports, friends, and activities. Of course I want them to succeed and be happy, but I rest in knowing that as parents Chris and I have modeled the value of hard work. There is joy in accomplishment, but MORE value and character building in the journey to get there.
I am very proud of my (not so little) future Kindergartener Sieger Bear.
He’s seen a lot of CrossFit kid jail over the years, and it’s just about his turn to start his journey with school, CrossFit, and wrestling.
He continues to surprise us with his sweet personality, as well as his determination.
Nate Grant of TNG Photography captured these images of Chris and Siege together at CrossFit Apollo.
When Nate sent me the finished product I was SHOCKED! I was watching Nate take these pictures and as most photoshoots go with children, I was positive it would be a complete disaster. My blood pressure escalated at my 5-year old’s inability to pose and listen, but Nate never lost patience. In fact, he never seemed the least bit worried, and put Chris and I at ease. He sent me these outtakes, which will give you a much better idea of what he was dealing with and his thought process.
Nate took my brother’s wedding photos and I’m continually impressed with his creative and unique photography talent.
TNG Photography specializes in creating timeless portraits of families of all sizes, headshots and high school senior portraits. Visit: www.TNGphoto.com.
If you’re looking to beat the heat and get some amazing family photos taken, Nate’s running a great special.
If you’re a mom that’s anxious to try CrossFit, because you’re worried about what to do with your kids, I encourage you to talk to the owners of your local CrossFit gym about your concerns. I won’t tell you that it’s easy, but it’s definitely doable, and you’ll quickly see the benefits of modeling hard work in the gym for your little ones.
A HUGE thank you to CrossFit Apollo who continues to support families!
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