When it comes to our kids, we just want the best for them. We want them to be happy, healthy, successful, and fulfilled. We do everything in our power to provide the experiences that will help them on their journey.
Think of all the things that have come to an end for you this year, either big or small. What do we all tend to do once that ending occurs? We look back. There are many reasons why we do this, but perhaps the most common is to remind ourselves of what we want the future to look like. Looking back allows us to reflect on what we want to repeat, improve, or avoid going forward. 2019 is coming to an end in just a few more days. Amid all the things you might look back on across the past 12 months, we hope that you acknowledge the things you want to repeat or improve on as it relates to your family's physical health.
Many, if not most, JumpBunch classes are held in preschools and daycares. This has always created an interesting dynamic in that the person who takes our class isn't the one who pays for it and the person who pays for it is someone we often never even meet. Parents enroll and pay for JumpBunch classes because their kids truly enjoy it, and they see noticeable and measurable progress. Even though we may not hear from parents often, our validation comes from their children staying enrolled. Often, this is for as many as four years until they head off to kindergarten.
June 6 was Global Running Day, and many of our franchise locations made a special effort to focus on running in their classes that day. Now we all know that it is not difficult at all to get kids to run. Most will gladly just take off with even an implied invitation! That's the key though for us adults...giving the invitation. Kids will follow our lead, so it falls to us to be accountable. So Global Running Day was not as much about actually running as it was about simply moving...and setting the example for our kids by doing so.
The well known phrase "your mission, should you choose to accept it..." is a signature of the popular television show and movie franchise Mission Impossible. The things they were tasked with accomplishing were truly daunting. While the mission of JumpBunch does not place our coaches in life and death situations by comparison, we believe that what we hope to accomplish truly matters in a way that can influence the lives of children forever.
The poster that JumpBunch franchisees place on the walls in schools hosting our classes has the following two words standing out...ACTIVE AND HAPPY! Of course, we all want nothing more than for kids to be happy and healthy! Our mission, and the role we play in helping make that happen, is to get kids moving more, introduce them to many fun sports/activities, and teach that being active is a choice that makes your life better. We like to say "building healthy habits early"!
Recently we had a call with a group from China that were interested in possibly bringing JumpBunch to their country. During the call they asked a question about how cultural differences might need to be considered when evaluating how the program might work there or in other countries. Our CEO, Tom Bunchman, began his reply by pointing out something that is so simple yet so powerful. Kids are kids. At the core of it all, if we let them, kids all have the same basic needs and desires wherever they may be.
There's a lot going in February. Rumor is that there is a pretty big football game (you might even call it Super) to kick things off. There is also an important and fun holiday full of candy, flowers, and gifts from the heart. Speaking of hearts, February is also the month that we are encouraged to consider how well we are taking care of that most important organ in our bodies.
Earlier this year one of our posts discussed the fact that healthy habits start at home. A habit is basically an action repeated often enough to become a routine that occurs without any thought. Unfortunately a habit can also be characterized by inaction though. When you choose not to engage with your kids at home in a way that promotes an active and healthy lifestyle, that lack of activity is as much a bad a habit as doing so is a good one.
