Looking at the picture above, my heart melts. Few things hold a candle to the way I feel holding one of my children on the beach. I love how much they need me and want to be held by me. Motherhood is by far one of the most amazing and best callings I could have asked for in my life. But that is not to say it isn’t also very hard. And tiring. And the years are short, but golly those days can be long.

As many children enter summer break and routines can go out the window, I am going to list out some reasons below why I think taking advantage of gym childcare helps me to be a better mom.

1. It is a built in time where mom can get some needed exercise and time alone. Nate says the gym is the cheapest therapy around for me, and he is right! It is a place I can go and sweat, clear my head, listen to a podcast, or simply lay on the foam roller and close my eyes.

2. There is no rule that you have to workout for an hour. You can go for 20 minutes if you like. Or better yet, workout for 20 minutes then take another 20 to read a book. You can make this time what you need it to be. Many gyms also offer showers and blow dryers. Some even have a sauna! This might actually be the cheapest spa around. You can leave feeling refreshed and clean! The world (aka gym childcare) is your oyster!

3. Exercise can be wonderful way to help combat many of the symptoms of postpartum anxiety/depression. I am not saying it’s a cure, but the endorphins from exercise, getting out of the house, and time around other adults can all help lift your mood big time.

4. Depending on what you choose to do at the gym, it can be a great place to build some community and make friends. I remember back in Durham seeing girls become great friends who all took the same zumba class, and their children became friends in the childcare room!

5. It might sound silly, but I think paying for the gym can actually save you money. I don’t know about you but oftentimes we end up at Target solely because we need an “activity” and then we end up spending twenty bucks in the dollar section!

6. You learn to trust others with your children and relinquish some control. This is going to happen at some point, and the gym can be a healthy way for parents to learn to separate from their children in small increments and in a fairly controlled setting.