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When all you want to do is 10 minutes, do it!  When I was living in Taiwan, it rained a lot.  Sometimes the rain never stopped, and though jumping in puddles is always fun, we didn't feel like it all the time. There weren't any gyms around either.  So, we had to come up with a plan b on getting in some exercise or getting those heebie-jeebies out of our bones.  My daughter and I came up with a fabulous idea.  We spent 10 minutes going through a circuit training or obstacle course.  Honestly, I was the one who did the obstacle course, while my 3 year old daughter jumped all over me during the process. Here's what I did:

60 jumping jacks

15-30 push ups (partly on my knees)

60 bicycles on my back

100 squats

15-30 dips (on a chair)

15-30 step ups

100 jump ropes (if you don't have a jump rope, just pretend)

I would do 2-3 sets of these and a little meditation or deep breathing.  Sometimes I would leave something out or add something in for variety (frog jumps or superman back stretches for example).  Lately, we've also been adding the balance board for more core-strengthening and improving our balance.  Whatever the case, this mini workout is great for the heart and for relieving stress. My daughter enjoyed creating her own little circuit simultaneously. It's a great way to start or end the day.

Think you have to spend a lot of money and have to be an adult to get a spa treatment? Think again.  Kids benefit from spa treatments just as much as adults do and it's never too early or young to get started (or too late).  Spa treatments have a tremendous amount of benefits, besides being fun and relaxing.  Massage helps blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells of our body.  Who doesn't benefit from that?  Water treatments are soothing and refreshing.  And there's nothing better than getting together with friends to create a home-spa with just a few essentials.

Here are a few tips from the pros (currently ages 4, 6, and 8) who have spent hours and hours creating spa treatments for each other and their friends.  Everyone always leaves with a big smile on their faces....even the adults.

Tip #1: Water is soothing.  All you need is a bucket of water, some brushes of various sizes.  Toothbrushes and dish soap brushes work like a charm.

Tip #2: Fresh fruits and vegetables are great to add to the face, eyes, and body.  Fresh cut cucumbers over the eyes and/or avocado masks for the legs, arms, and face. 

Tip #3: Potions and lotions: Children love to create special scrubs and potions.  In our house, we just use mineral oil mixed with lotion to rub on the legs and feet (we picked this recipe up at a great pedicure spa down the street).

Tip #4:  Comfortable lounge chairs or pillows are very important.  Children want to feel comfortable and cozy while they are receiving their spa treatment.

Tip #5: Set a timer.  This will come in handy to make sure everyone gets an equal amount of time of pampering and luxuriating.

Activities that promote balance are more and more important for kids these days.  I spend a lot of time at playgrounds and started to notice that there are some great playground equipment which promotes balance as well as other development.  Sometimes we wonder the importance of all these playground equipment pieces, besides being fun.  Well, after a bit of research and knowledge of children's development, here's what I found:

Monkey Bars: improves upper-body muscular strength
and endurance and promotes hand-eye coordination, kinesthetic awareness, and rhythmic body movement. Monkey bars are way more fun when you act like a monkey! Ooh ooh, Ah ah.

Climbing Wall: enhances spatial awareness and arm and leg coordination. It also advances the development of body management skills on stable and unstable apparatuses. Climbing fosters whole-body muscular strength, endurance and flexibility. Climbing promotes balance.

Swinging: integrates a smooth and synchronized movement pattern. It emphasizes the importance of timely energy transfer during movement. Swinging also promotes aerobic fitness, muscular force, and whole-body awareness.

Sliding: enhances core stability, dynamic balance, and leg and hip flexibility. It provides a body and spatial awareness movement experience.

Spinning: develops kinesthetic awareness and 
postural control. It improves comprehension of speed, force, and directional qualities of movement.

Balance boards, rocks, beams, and bridges: increases understanding of efficient body positioning and control when stationary or moving. Balance promotes muscular strength and endurance throughout the entire body.

 In our crazy, fast-paced world, it's important to find a space or spot to relax. Kids need a space to meditate and relax, too.  The outdoors is the best, but when that isn't possible all the time, then creating a space indoors can be just as nice with the right elements. Some people choose to create a "peace corner", while others will turn a whole house into a zen space. Having a peaceful space to retreat to helps children relax, focus, and regain positive energy. 

First, if you can't be outdoors, bring the outdoors inside.  Add plants to the space.  Plants give us oxygen and we give them carbon dioxide. 

Next, think about the senses and come up with something for each of the five senses. 

Touch:  For example, children love cozy, soft pillows.  A heavy, soft blanket helps some children feel safe, secure, and relaxed. 

Smell:  For sense of smell, you may want to have a collection of jars with various scents inside of them.  Rosemary, lavender, citrus, cloves, and cinnamon are all long-lasting natural smells. 

Sight:  Colors can have a positive or negative effect on kids.  Light Green and light blue are the most popular calming colors.  Green is a cool color associated with nature and vegetation.  Green is a fresh color and gives a sense of tranquility.  Blue is associated with water and the sky.  It's another cool color which gives a feeling of serenity and purity. 

Hearing: If you able to play soft music, children love music.  A water feature, such as a water fountain is another idea in case music isn't an option.  Of course, if there's a window...just listening to the sounds outside may be nice.  A basket with a few soft sounding bells or a rain stick is also a nice addition. 

Taste:  A friend of mine introduced me to spa water.  Basically, you take water and add sliced lemon, sliced cucumber, and mint to it.  Kids love it, it's healthy, and refreshing.  Sipping slowly on herbal tea is a wonderful way to teach children to relax and enjoy the  moment.  Just make sure to assist them with the hot water.

After you have created this magical space, use it often and share it. Talk about how it makes you and your child feel, and then add or subtract whatever you need.  Just make sure it's not too overwhelming to where the space becomes a play area versus a spot to just chill.  Peace!

If you are going to teach your child one thing it's to be able to lose sometimes and be ok with it.  Why? Because your child is going to have to deal with defeat.  We all do.  And the important thing about losing is that it's o.k., you just need to bounce back up and keep on going. Remember when you learned how to ride a bike, and fell over at first? Or how about President Abraham Lincoln's list of defeats? It seemed like every few years he had to deal with some sort of loss, but he never quit, and kids should learn that they shouldn't quit either.  Nobody likes a sore loser.  Life is about doing your best and giving it your best shot, and with that comes mistakes and losses. 

So, how do you teach kids to get back up and brush off the dust?  For one thing, focusing on the positive is a great start.  Also, it's a good idea to cheer on everyone that is playing.  In other words, if your child is in a race with some other kids, make sure to cheer on all the places-1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.  Show your child that everyone did a great job, especially if they tried their best.

Learning how to win or lose gracefully takes a lot of practice.  It's important to let kids know that failure isn't the end of the world.  It's a chance to get back up again and try again. It's also a great time to learn from our mistakes.  Talk to your kids about how they feel and what they could do differently (or the same) when they win or lose.  Talk about how others feel.

And remember to be a good role model.  Kids are always watching how their parents react to all situations.  Make sure to have a positive outlook on life, even when things don't turn out the way they should.  Focus on getting up, brushing off the dust and moving forward-proudly.  How you handle situations in life sends a huge message to kids.

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail"- Ralph Waldo Emerson