Riley, my pretend grandson, is learning to talk; he’s taking his time about it, but he’s got a few things down pat. Paula says he’s the only child she’s ever known who used verbs before he used nouns, and his favorite verb is go.

Whenever he hears anything that sounds like “shoes,” he perks up and asks, “Shoes?” If I tell him, “Go get your shoes,” he’s off like a rocket to find them. Then he brings them to me and wants me to put them on him. As soon as I do, he runs to the front door and starts saying, “Let’s go!”

I’ll admit there are times I’m not crazy about going out in 85-degree muggy weather, but I can’t look into those big blue eyes and say no. So off we go! I’m teaching him boundaries because he wants to go everywhere and get there fast; he’d barely learned to walk when he started running. He’s learning stop and if he doesn’t, he has to hold my hand. But it’s a joy to see a toddler, or anyone really, who wants to move so much.

Whether you’re a parent or a grandparent, getting kids to move early in life is important. But you have to be able to keep up with them, and that means you have to be fit as well. Do you really want to say Daddy or Grandma is too tired? Of course that will happen sometimes, but it should be rare. By the way, going with them counts as exercise for you, too.

That means you have to take care of you first. If you do, when you hear, “Let’s go!” you’ll be ready to go.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet