I think I finally understand how to keep a house full of happiness. Don’t laugh but the simple cure for all problems seems to be exercise. Now, before all of you couch potatoes go screaming and whining (Matt) here is my thought process:
Dogs are a bored animal. They need to be challenged mentally and physically. The more you walk them and play with them, the happier they are and the less destructive they become. Every dog trainer in the world says the same thing….exercise your dog and your dog will reward you with great behavior.
Case in point, I have a 16 month old Bernese Mountain Dog. She will eat the house, literally if I don’t walk and play with her enough. What is enough? A brisk long walk in the morning, another at night with a catch play session somewhere in between. If I exercise her enough, she sleeps soundly the rest of the time. A tired dog is a happy dog.
Kids are just like dogs (oh lord, I can’t wait for the comments). If you let them watch TV all day or stay in the house doing nothing, then they become fat, and eventually destructive. Outdoor play wipes kids out. They stay healthy, they stay thin, they become active healthy adults. Lock a kid in the house all day and they get bored, destructive, unruly and become truant drug addicts. A tired kids is a well behaved kid.
A active wife who exercises is a happy wife. Guys, this does not mean doing all the chores, it means giving them an out that they enjoy. Maybe it playing soccer like my wife, or gardening like someone other than my wife. It is not about cleaning the house, but going outside to do something fun. This makes your wife more vibrant and less likely to cut your balls off in the middle of the night. A tired wife is a cranky Happy wife
You can’t be in the house all day either, but you can’t be out of it. Do some yard work, volunteer to do some yardwork. Fix the house, but it is more than that. Be active with your kids playing outside, go kayaking, golfing, join a sports league. Get off the sofa, put down the case of beer and get active.
Bottom line is simple, raising a healthy family is about becoming active. Drop the lazy, lethargic, TV watching habits and raise your energy level. You will notice, almost immediately that everything becomes…better (and easier)…especially with kids, families and dogs!
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