Connect the Dots Ginger | Becky Allen: May 2017

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Kindergarten...Again- Why We Are "Redshirting" Our Kindergartner

We are coming up on the end of the school year where kids are excited that they are going to be moving up to the next grade level, but not our son. We are "redshirting" him. We knew pretty early on in the school year that Mason was struggling with keeping up in his class. He does have a July birthday, so he was one of the youngest kids in his class. But with the cutoff of the year Sept 30 in our area. We thought that he was going to be fine. The idea of holding him back next year came up in September. SEPTEMBER. I was actually kind of mad that the teacher was saying it so early on in the school year, but she knew. She knew that he would be struggling to keep up.

"What did I do wrong?" was the main thing I kept asking myself. "What more could I have done?" Nothing. We did everything right. There were other things that were holding him back. Mason had a huge speech delay compared to the other kids. We had started him in speech therapy at the beginning of 2016 while he was still in preschool. And when he started Kindergarten, he didn't know most of the letters. We didn't know that. I thought he knew more.  The main reason was because he couldn't physically say them, so he didn't learn them. He would memorize them short term but ask him the next day what the letter was he had no idea. That was our biggest delay. So right after that first meeting in September with his teacher I was writing letters on his snack bag and going over it every morning with him and we worked hard! Little dude was finally making progress.

One thing that I want to get clear is that he progressed this year. Made a HUGE progress. And both times he was officially tested for meeting the benchmarks required he was at the same learning curve. He was only 90% there. He just needed 10% more to meet the benchmarks, which is HUGE. And honestly, we had to request for him to be held back because he is right on the border. He could go on to first grade as normal next year but he wouldn't thrive. He would struggle. And we would struggle right along with him.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU SHOULD HOLD YOUR KID BACK A YEAR 

For us, it was the nightly struggle. Getting him to write was tear inducing. Getting him to read was full of negativity and crying and yelling and frustration. We didn't even have time or the energy to go over numbers and counting with him. We were trying to over teach him from what the teachers wanted. So we were pushing him a lot harder than what was to be expected. He is in kindergarten for pete's sake. We worked hard with his teacher for us to learn how to help him best.

Work with your child's teacher. Learn from them. Have extra parent teach conferences. Ask questions via email. Be the annoying parent because it is your right. I felt bad in the beginning about being annoying but this was my kid's education and future. So I annoyed his teacher I am sure. But he made HUGE progress by the end of the year.

Use the resources that your school offers. Mason is in speech therapy, he was tested for occupational therapy. He is in the PALS resource to help him with reading and letter recognition and works with the teacher helper a lot. Don't be ashamed of the resources that your school does offer. That is just one more thing helping your kids excel. I'm sad that he won't be in the PALS program next year as he really does enjoy it and has learned so much from it. But it will be there for the kids that do need it just like he did.

Make learning as fun as you can with your child. You read above that most things were tear inducing or would easily frustrate Mason. We made it a point to read dinosaur books with him. Or super hero books. We found books that he wanted to read. We still struggled with them and getting him to follow along and focus but he enjoyed them.

CELEBRATE the little things. Any time Mason read something by himself, I would cheer and scream out of excitement and the he would give me the biggest grin. Writing his full name for the first time without him crying out of frustration, I was crying for happiness. He saw that and loved it. He is huge for positive reinforcement. We focus more on the good than bad now. If he gets frustrated we try to turn whatever is frustrating him from a negative to a positive. Doesn't work every time but we really do work hard at it.

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT WHEN HOLDING YOUR KID BACK

What age they will be when they graduate- Mason will be almost 19. What age they will be when they start to drive- He will be 16 as a freshman! SCARY! This decision will impact when he goes on his church mission. When he starts college. When he graduates college. He is going to be the older and bigger kid at school now. We are hoping that that gives him the confidence to not be a follower and follow kids for attention but that he is the leader and making better choices. Also this is why he is now in karate, to learn to be a good leader and focus. To "redshirt" your child really does impact the rest of their life so be prepared for that. But on the flip side, Mason will have a stronger foundation in school because he will have more confidence and ability to keep up. For us, the positive aspects we are looking forward to are far greater than forcing him to move up and try to keep up with everyone else.

Mason was fully aware of our decision and he also agreed that he wanted to get better at knowing his letters, numbers and writing before he moved on. He knows that first grade will be just a little too hard for him. Communicate with your child. Let them know. But I will say, yesterday, he was upset when we talked about it. He asked me "why is everyone else moving up but me?" We had to talk about it all over again and he again decided that he just wasn't ready for 1st grade. But yesterday was heartbreaking for me. I don't like making him upset or knowing he is upset because of a decision that we all made for him with his input. In the end, you have to decide what is best for your child. Where they are going to thrive the most. It isn't a negative thing to hold your child back. At least it shouldn't be. I would rather hold him back in Kindergarten then at an older age where it truly will be more difficult and socially difficult for my child.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration just like this? Click here to join my private online community where you get info, tips, support and encouragement + a free gift with tips to help you get started with the right mindset for healthier nutrition choices TODAY!

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Summer Slim Down To Success 60 Day Program

Do you know how long I have wanted to feel this amazing in swimwear??? This is the first summer that I am finally going to ditch my coverup and strut proudly while at the pool and beach. 
Sure at first glance still have a ways to go to have that idealistic beach body. I have a #mombod. I have birthed 3 kids. I have an 8 month old. I have a belly, thicker legs, a double butt. But I have never felt so sexy and amazing as I do now. WHY??? Because I am finally taking caring of my body and my mind and loving who I am as I am now. And I am ready to share how I did that with you! 
It's all part of my Summer Slim Down To Success in my EXCLUSIVE Health and Fitness Support Group. Begins June 1 and will run for 60 days! Time to ditch the cover ups or t-shirts and walk proudly as your strut your stuff and feel like the badass you are even while in swimwear! 
WHAT YOU GET: 
Daily exercise using Beachbody on Demand, unlimited online streaming to over 500 workouts
Daily Superfood filled smoothie to help control those pesky cravings
Color coded containers to help you learn to eat the right portion sizes for your body
80/20 eating so you can still have some summertime favorites guilt free
Daily self love motivation
Daily Accountability
Weekly LIVE chats
Info, tips, recipes and access to my 2 guides to help you stay on track!
HOW TO GET STARTED: 
Purchase the Beachbody On Demand Annual All Access Pass Challenge Pack Bundle: $160, (normally $199!) through the link below.
First 5 people who ORDER BY 11:59pm EST on May 31st and you will get at 30 minute 1:1 call with me for getting started for success! 
***PLUS the next 2 people who order will also get a FREE COPY of the FIXATE cookbook with over 100 recipes that go along with the color coded containers.***
Want more daily motivation and inspiration just like this? Click here to join my private online community where you get info, tips, support and encouragement + a free gift with tips to help you get started with the right mindset for healthier nutrition choices TODAY!

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day and Woman's day! Seriously it really should be a celebration of women. I know what it is like to go through Mother's Day but not be a mother and want it so badly. How sad it can be. How hard it is. I know it might not seem like it now, but I was diagnosed with PCOS at 21 years old. Then it took us 8 years of trying before we ever got our very first positive pregnancy test and it was with Mason. 3 fertility doctors. 54 shots in my belly. 2 IUI's. and 3 miscarriages, with one almost taking my life. To get my 3 babies here.

Know that if you are without your children yet, that you are still a mother at heart. You have the desire. You have the love in your heart. Celebrate how amazing you are. How amazing your mother is and grandmother. Celebrate the women in your life that you want to be like. And strive every day to be like them.

I hope everyone had a safe, happy and healthy Mother's Day! And thank you so much for reading my blog and for hanging out here! It really means a lot to me and I absolutely love being apart of your lives and helpfully inspiring you that you too, can find balance in your daily life with your fitness, health and lifestyle!

Thursday, May 11, 2017

5 Simple Steps To A Healthy Lifestyle Change Challenge

Hey Guys! I am so excited to invite you to my FREE 5 day challenge in my Private Connect The Dots To Your Fitness, Health and Life Group beginning Monday, May 15.

During the week we will be focusing on how to create a lasting healthy lifestyle change with LIVE videos and daily action steps to put what you learn into motion!
Here's a glimpse to what we will be learning:


  • Weekly Meal Planning With A Purpose
  • Weekly Family and Activity Planning
  • Making A True Mindset Change From Dieting To Lifestyle Change
  • Goal Setting For Success
  • Finding The Right Motivation To Continue Long Term
I am so excited to present this to you again. It wasn't until I put these 5 changes together that I started to see results on the scale and mentally. 
WANT TO BE PART OF THE FUN? You get a FREE GIFT TOO! CLICK HERE to not only get the link to join the group but to also get your hands on your very own copy of my Clean Eating Guide to get you started today with tips on how to transition to clean eating in your household! 

Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

3 Reasons Why You're Not Reaching Your Goals

Feeling stuck in your goals right now? It's normal to hit a point where motivation lacks, or your progress doesn't happen. But finding the way to move past those plateaus, both physical and mental, are important to be able tor reach your goals. Check out the following reason why you might not reach your goals and what you can do to overcome them.

1) Don't believe that you can actually hit your goals. This is a big one you guys. How can you believe in something that you have never been able to accomplish before? Sure, you can look through magazines all you want and admire the trim slender bodies of the models and "wish" that you could look like that, and make your goals to be like them, but what if you ultimately, and deep down believe that you will never be able to look like that? Why are you thinking that? Because of Fear. It is a fear of change. A fear of the unknown. A fear of the what if. It is totally changing what you are doing and how you have been doing it to reach something that seems so far away and unobtainable. But it is obtainable. And you have every right to reach your goals. AS LONG AS YOUR GOALS ARE REALISTIC. For me, I know I will never be 125 pounds and a size 00. It just won't happen. For me. My goals is to be as healthy as possible at 24% body fat. I have no idea what weight that will be for my body but what it is about is a healthy body fat. I'm currently at 39% so it is a big change, and if I am at 185 pounds or even 205 pounds at 24% body fat then that is what I will be. I am aiming to be the best version of myself with a healthy lifestyle.

2) Take Daily Action. How can you expect to reach your goals if you aren't exercising at least 5-6 days a week. Or if you aren't following your nutrition plan and allow yourself little treats every now and then, not daily. YOU CAN'T. Often times we get upset or stop programs because they aren't working and we aren't losing the weight we expected, but...did you honestly follow the program exactly?

You all know I use the 21 Day Fix Portion Fix system with those cute little color coded containers. Well, when I first started with it and saw how much food I had to eat, I thought "THERE IS NO WAY I WILL LOSE WEIGHT EATING THIS MUCH FOOD!" But it isn't about the food amount, it is about what we are putting in our bodies. Most people when they see how much they eat jump brackets to the next lower bracket down because they don't want to or can't eat that much food. Because in the past the thinking was "to lose weight you have to eat less." But in the past, they weren't eating the right kinds of foods that their body needs or wants. When you are putting the right foods in your body, the right amounts, your body will start to work right. And it can take a few weeks for it work right too. Don't give up after 1 week if you gain a little weight. Your body is adjusting, and flushing out the built up crap. If you follow your program and nutrition you will see results of some kind either with weight or inches within 3 weeks. But you have to take daily action of eating right, and exercising or moving your body DAILY!

3) Remember Your Why. When you feel like stopping you have have to remember why the heck you started in the first place. Because that reason why you started in the first place...WAS SO IMPORTANT that you decided you needed to make a change. It matters to you. Write down your why. Post it somewhere you can refer back to it often. Where you even see it daily. Because it is important. It matters. And think about that why daily to help drive you to keep going. And above all. DON'T GIVE UP! KEEP GOING! If you do stop, just know that you will try again. Because that is who you are. A fighter! Keep on fighting for what you want because it is worth it to reach it! And one day you will be able to look back and and be so proud of what you accomplished!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration just like this? 
Click here to join my private online community where you get info, tips, support and encouragement + a free gift with tips to help you get started with the right mindset for healthier nutrition choices TODAY!

Monday, May 8, 2017

5 Lessons Learned From Failing


"You learn more from failure than from success. Don't let it stop you. Failure builds character." Every time I have stumbled (really don't like the F word!) in this weight loss journey I have learned something new about myself or my journey. I have learned over time that:
1) I have to have "cheat days" or days where I don't stick to my plan and have a piece of cake or something decadent. Otherwise I will totally have a binge attack.
2) I have learned to listen so much more to my body. Whether it is for eating or exercise, I am in tune with what my body wants and try to listen to it as best as possible.
3) I am so much stronger and have so much will power that sometimes I forget about it. I have totally changed my eating because I wanted to, the the times that I don't, I am really just cheating myself.
4) Exercise makes me a better person. Even though it makes my body physically tired. I am a happier and better mom when I exercise. That is why I need to do it more than just 3 times a week.
5) Love what you are doing or you won't do it at all! If I don't love my eating plan, the foods I am eating or the workout I won't follow it at all. ENTER Beachbody On Demand Annual All Access Pass for the exercise. I can change to a totally different workout program and it won't cost me any extra! $99 a year for every workout program ever created by Beachbody!
What have you learned from your past struggles with trying to lose weight?
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here to join my private online community where you get info, tips, support and encouragement + a free gift with tips to help you get started with the right mindset for healthier nutrition choices TODAY!

Friday, May 5, 2017

7 Months: Postpartum Update

Exercise: This past month I did mostly 21 Day Fixbut I also did a Workout With Me 5 Day Challenge where I changed programs every day to try out new programs. I've been streaming all of my workings using the Beachbody On Demand with the all access pass. 

Weight: Pre-pregnancy weight:237.7. Weight morning of birth: 265. Current weight May 1: 246.0. This whole month I have been between 244 and 246. I know it has to do with my eating so things are being change for this next month. I did not like seeing the scale going up. I have worked way too hard to start gaining weight back.

May Goals: IAfter gaining back 2 pounds I am not happy. I seriously have worked too hard to let my nutrition get the better of me. I had been having something sweet and or salty every day for the past couple of months. I am pretty dang sure that is what is holding me back. I am still aiming to lose 1 pound a week since I am exclusively breastfeeding. 4 pounds would be great by the end of the month. I started a new to me workout program (I loved it so much with the 5 Day Workout Out With Me Challenge, that I wanted to do it this month P90X3. All workouts are 30 min max. Almost every move is a combo move so burning more fat because using more muscle! I am also following my nutrition plan to a T and allowing myself a "cheat meal" every week. I am now 5 days into it and every time I get a thought for a sweet or treat I just tell myself, I can wait until Sunday! So it hasn't been too bad after I remind myself that. Plus the accountability from sharing my journey and in my groups is what is keeping me going everyday. I have a natural drive to exercise and eat right, but I have even more of a kick to just KICK BUTT and show everyone that it is possible to lose weight while breastfeeding. (interested in joining my private support community? CLICK HERE TO JOIN: CONNECT THE DOTS TO YOUR HEALTH, FITNESS AND LIFE Private Online Community.
Are you ready to make that complete healthy lifestyle change but don't know where to start? I have created a 30 day workbook with daily action steps to help you make a complete healthy lifestyle change. 30 Days To A Healthy Lifestyle Change is available in my EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group as a TOOL to go along with your Beachbody On Demand All Access Pass workout programs and journey. If you are interested in joining us and are ready to order CLICK HERE and I will send you an email after you order with your materials and get you added to the group!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Elyse Cheyenne: 7 Months

STATS: 
14 pounds 13 ounces

Baby girl is 7 months old, well we are a little late in posting this but the pictures are for the right time. I really wanted to get a weight on her and her appointment was on the 10th. She had a follow up for the second half of her flu shot and I wanted to know how much weight she had gained. And really she is really doing well! She gained almost 1.5 pounds pounds in the past month, almost 2 months.Which is AMAZING! Her double frenectomy worked very well! 

Have fun with the picture overload! Man, she is such a cutie! 


The kids easter pictures







Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Workout With Me LIVE

Every Wednesdays are now WORKOUT WITH ME WEDNESDAYS in my FREE PRIVATE online community Connect The Dots To Your Fitness, Health and Life Group. What's involved? I will be doing a SHORT live workout featuring a different workout every week that you can try out with me LIVE, or do on your own time later (since all the videos are recorded!)

JOIN ME IN MY FREE GROUP TODAY for Workout With Me Wednesdays AND daily info, tips, motivation and a community of amazing women all working towards the same goals: Connecting the dots to balance their health and fitness with their busy life! Plus you get a free gift from me- Tips to help you get started NOW with healthier food choices!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here to join my private online community where you get info, tips, support and encouragement + a free gift with tips to help you get started with the right mindset for healthier nutrition choices TODAY!

Monday, May 1, 2017

New Month - New Fitness Program: P90X3

Happy May!!! It's a new month and I still have the same goals, but I am just going to go about reaching those goals in a different way! 

I am stuck. My progress is stalled. My body is in pure maintenance mode right now and I don't want to maintain. I feel like I am telling you more than showing you that I can actually make these changes. And if I can't change, how can you expect to. I do not like my current body shape, size or how I feel. My body aches. My body gets tired. I am fit but...My body is holding me back to what I can really reach and in the end it is my choices in food that is holding me back.

But that all changes this month and for whatever reason May always seems to be the month that I get my butt in gear and WORK IT! Maybe it is because summer is almost here. Not sure what it is but...It was May 2012 after Mason was born that I started with my nutritionist and the weight just fell off. It was May 2013 that I suffered my second miscarriage and gained excess weight and started running to lose it. It was May 2015 that after I started seeing a counselor and getting back into exercise after my 3rd miscarriage that almost took my life and started my weight loss journey again to get me out of my depression. Now it's May 2017 and again, I am buckling down and will finally stop telling you about my weight loss goals but SHOW you too! I might have made bad choices in the kitchen the last 2 months but that doesn't mean I give up. That means I work harder in putting the right foods in my mouth and the right portion sizes. To finally stop making excuses because my excuses snowball. And to start pushing play or doing something even on on the days that I just don't want to.
This month I am going to be starting a new program: P90X3! Yep! You read that right. I am going to be doing a P90X program! But this one in particular is that you still get the results of a P90X program but in only 30 minutes a day. Which is totally doable for this busy stay at home working momma of 3! It is just high intensity for the 30 minutes and you have to BRING IT for the 30 minutes! Going to the best of your level and ability every day! 

Are you ready to join me on my journey? JOIN MY FREE ONLINE FITNESS COMMUNITY to get the support, info and tips to help keep you motivated. Not ready to invest in the Annual All Access Pass Bundle yet? You can GET THE FREE 30 day trial of Beachbody On Demand to see if it fits your lifestyle first! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here to join my private online community where you get info, tips, support and encouragement + a free gift with tips to help you get started with the right mindset for healthier nutrition choices TODAY!
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