I walked by behind off this weekend. It was our Christmas weekend with the four great nieces and nephews. We went to Mall of America – not to shop, but to play. Maze of Mirrors, Children’s Museum, Sea Life and Legoland were on the hit list. There are 563 stores and those 4 places we went to are not located next to each other in the 4 stories. We walked for six hours. Yes, I got my exercise in.
It was interesting – I thought those 4 kids, ages 5 to 11, would be more interested in want to buy things. I was surprised. The only thing they really wanted to buy was Legos, and even then they were not really thrilled at Legoland. Too many kids and too many sales people pushing things at them. The mall itself is lots of glitz, lots of people and after awhile it all looks the same. Steven, the 11 year old said “Aunt Deby, I had more fun at the police station in Webster City. They talked to me and showed me everything and answered all my questions.” Insightful, and he’s a small town enthusiast!
The walking was great exercise! We also ate real food. Not fast food. We went to restaurants, ordered from menus, enjoyed our food and had conversation with our food – no electronics. We did take selfies – and then we talked. There’s real value in that, and in digesting your food and taking your time.
Yes, my calves are sore. Yes, we had a great time. The swimming pool at the hotel was the biggest hit, followed closely by Sea Life where we had fed the sting ray. Memories were made, we got exercise and ate well. This is how you diet with kids. Literally one step at a time with a smile on your face.