Batteries Not Required

In this digital age where kids as early as two years old play games and watch cartoons on iPads or mobile phones, it’s getting more challenging to get children to be active.

Most toys these days are battery operated and some even have voice command. It takes very little or no effort at all to play and move around.

Now, more families in the city live in condos where there are very limited playground (sometimes, no space at all for kids to play) for a child to run around and to play.

Tom and I believe that physical activity in one’s childhood is important because it’s one way children discover the world and themselves. It helps in building strong muscles and healthy bones, as well as improving self-confidence. It also helps kids in maintaining a healthy weight.

When Aryanna was growing up, Tom and I introduced her to rollerblading and skateboarding. Tom would even take her to a nearby school in our village using his longboard. She had fun! Watch what she and Tom had to say about their experience on her YouTube channel Pepper Draws:

Now that we have our son Dylan, we try to go to the park more often so he can run around and play until he’s tired. I know some parents who complain about hyperactive kids, especially boys, and I believe part of the reason why they are sometimes unruly or overly energetic is because they either eat too much junk food or they are not physically active.

To get our children active, The Eppersons kick it old school:

Inside a toy store:

Dylan: Mom! Check those cars! I want one!
Me: Wow! Those are cool! *asks the salesman* How much are the electric cars?
Salesman: It depends ma’am. Around P10K- P15K.
Me: WHAT?!! That’s already a pair of designer shoes! (Uhm, mali, Jenni. Mali. Haha!)
Salesman: Ma’am, it has a battery pack kasi.
Me: Eh, kung walang battery?
Salesman: Meron kami, yung lumang style, manual pedal car, P3K+ lang.

SOLD!

Over the holidays, we baked cookies to give to friends and street children and ate a lot of them too! One of the best ways to burn the calories is to ride a kick scooter.

The effects of too much sugar

This is how the Finnster rolls

Photography by Tom Epperson

Shoppingero/shoppingera, time to get active with the kids!