The Man in the Mirror

There are times when I am so proud that my son is emulating one of my positive personality traits. But there are days, too, when I gasp and say, "Oh no! You're just like me!" And I realize he won't necessarily change unless I do first.

And there are no guarantees either of our efforts will stick...

Over the past year, Carter has grown quite a bit. He's creeping up on me in height, but he's also filling out. (Yes, "filling out." In my multiple stages of life on the higher end of the scale, I know there are lots of different ways to say a person has put on weight!)

Carter is the one who noticed it first when his pants were getting snug this winter. Just a little Buddha Belly, as I call it. I told him it was no big deal. He'd be active in soccer and baseball and at Kidz Camp, too. But the thing with kids these days (and many adults, too) is that we're only as active as we have to be. We have a whole lot of sedentary time between bouts of activity. So despite his once or twice a week activities, he's still got the Buddha thing going.

He says on Saturday, "Mom, what can I do to lose this gut?" I told him he can start by watching what he's eating. Not dieting -- I don't need him obsessed with that -- just easing off full-sugar soda, Little Debbie treats, etc. Missing the point (just a little), he replies, "But Mom. I'm not fat anywhere else, just my tummy. Isn't there an exercise I can just do for my gut?"

So that's when I suggested we dust off the old Ab Roller I had to have on some exercise "effort" back in the '90s. I said we both could do a few ab crunches a day to get started and we'd see how it felt (on our back, neck and of course, stomach) then do a few more. He thought that was cool.

We both survived Day One.

Sunday. Day Two. It's mid-afternoon and Carter plops on the couch with a fresh package of Swiss Cake Rolls and says, "Mom, when are we doing our ab exercises again?"

I just burst out laughing and couldn't stop. He's so my little man in the mirror. He's so the son of Robyn, who will bike around the lake for exercise but stop halfway at the ice cream stand... who will run 2 miles so she can eat her piece of carrot cake. Oh this poor, misguided child!

Monday. Day Three. We finally got it right. Carter drank water instead of soda and we did our reps (repetitions) together.

Tuesday. Day Four. Thinking we had a routine down now. I said last night, "OK, Carter, I'll meet you down in the basement." I go down there, do my crunches and then go in the laundry room to iron. I heard Carter come down and assumed he was doing his reps, but when I went back out there, he was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of ice cream! I point to the Ab Roller and he says, "Oh! That's why you wanted me to come down?"

Yikes. We've got some work to do.

This might take a little bit of commitment and maybe even some creative thinking. But if anyone can find a way to have their cake and eat it, too, it's Carter and his mom!