Pull your shoulders way back like you are flaunting your boobs and stay like that for as long as you can. Sit on a hard chair - feet flat on the floor - and pull those shoulders way back imagining a string from your bum through your head putting you into a perfect straight line. Do this while you are watching TV alone at night or when you are sitting and watching DC.

Your upper back will only be strengthened by doing and holding the perfect posture so that when you aren't thinking about it (like in Music or story time) you do it naturally.

It also will make you look ten pounds thinner (bonus!).

Get something like this. They have them at our day care for the teachers:

http://www.amazon.com/Floor-Chair-Original-BackJack-Chairs/dp/B009E98B3Q

Anonymous wrote:It won't help your back, but I'd replace a couple of those activities with puzzles or books at home. With the intention of easing him toward playing alone, independently.

OP again and we already do those things. There are a lot of hours in our day!

Drop two. No one needs four. Or buy one of those back support things people use for concers (sort of a sling chair).

Get used to it. There will be many great opportunities your son won't get to do. That is just life.

Also, a good back is critical for parenting a toddler. Take care of yours.

It won't help your back, but I'd replace a couple of those activities with puzzles or books at home. With the intention of easing him toward playing alone, independently.

Anonymous wrote:You don't have to take him to so many classes. Replace one or two days with a grocery store or Target trip. It's just as fun for him, if not more.

OP here and we do things like that in the afternoons. We live in an apartment and his first word was "a-side" - he always wants to go someplace!

Anonymous wrote:Do you want to stay home? You may want to have a honest conversation with yourself,
. Maybe daycare is the answer.

No, I do want to be home with him. I think more than anything it is the sitting on the floor that is killing me. And I would love someone else to wrangle him but if that is not possible I would love to increase my upper back strength.


And thanks for the core exercises idea - they could be beneficial for many reasons - but will they help my shoulders and upper back too? I feel like a hunchback after forty minutes sitting cross-legged on the floor.

As my physical therapist would say, you need to strengthen your core. Probably can find DVDs to help with that.

You don't have to take him to so many classes. Replace one or two days with a grocery store or Target trip. It's just as fun for him, if not more.

Do you want to stay home? You may want to have a honest conversation with yourself,
. Maybe daycare is the answer.

OP here. Anything specific (as in exercises I can do at home) so that sitting on the floor with him doesn't hurt my upper back?

There is no sitting and watching a toddler boy! In a few years, you'll be able to sit and relax at the playground, etc but just think of it as your daily exercise. No need for a gym! Also, don't have another child and then complain that you are exhausted. If you are tired now...

Yoga or pilates can help your back.

That's quite a schedule. As a toddler, he doesn't need interaction and stimulation all the time. And he doesn't really need socialization yet. I'd dial it way back.

Are you part of a mom's group? You need some play dates where you and the other mom can sit on the couch and watch the kids, but you also get some down time. I'd drop at least 2 of the activities and replace them with in-home play dates.

I have an active nineteen-month-old boy and am a SAHM. I have him at two library story times, a Music Together class and a Mommy & Me each week. He loves them all and does need the socialization with other kids (he's our first and has no siblings at home yet). The problem is - the classes are physically exhausting to me! In each class the parent participates and sits on the floor (no back support) and even in story time I have to engage him and cajole him to stay seated (talking quietly about the book - "Oh, look at that - the butterfly loves the flower...") That on top of playing with him, reading to him and walking him all over town - I'm tired! I don't do any real housework during the day, it is all him. When he is napping I do his laundry and make a few things in the kitchen for his meals (steamed veggies and such) so I do get a good 30 to 40 minutes to rest - but that is it for the entire 10 hour day without DH.

Is there any activity where I can just sit and watch? And if not, how to I strengthen my back so that sitting on the floor without back support doesn't kill me?