Age: 37
Residence: Waterbury
Family: Husband, Tom; daughters Julia, 2, and Ava, 5
Occupation: Writer and stay-at-home mom
Primary sport: Cross-country skiing and running
VS: You recently wrote Fit Family, the Infant, Toddler and Preschool Years. What sparked the idea for the book?
HH: When my husband and I first started exercising with a baby, we had tons of questions. What kind of child transporting equipment performed well, but didn’t cost a ton, how long could we exercise with a baby in tow, how would our baby fare in various weather conditions? We were lucky to be around a lot of good role models, and we got some good information. At the same time, we talked to many new parents who no longer exercised because the scenario with a child along was too complicated or they couldn’t find the time. We figured a book could help make the process of exercising with young kids easier. Coincidentally, I happened to start some freelance editing for the Montpelier-based Vitesse Press. When I was pregnant with my second child, I helped edit a book called Fit & Pregnant. The last chapter of that book is titled “Fit Family.” The rest is history.
VS: How did your kids help you with the writing process?
HH: When I started writing Fit Family, I had a newborn and a toddler. When I finished, I had a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. I wrote about my experiences with my kids, which changed day to day and season to season. My own experiences also helped educate me on appropriate questions to ask when interviewing people. The project took me a year longer than anticipated, and the scope of the book changed in that time. Originally, I was focusing on parents and how parents could continue to be active with a young child. When my 2-year-old started yelling, “I want to walk,” while I was hiking along with her in the pack, I figured out that even toddlers are interested in the exercise. So I shifted my perspective to look at the young family instead of just the parents.
VS: What was the most important lesson or piece of new information that you learned from your research?
HH: That young kids can do more than you expect. I heard this time and time again from active parents in a variety of scenarios. From how young kids are agile on rocks on a hike to how kids can bike all over town or paddle in a canoe. I guess this is the flip side to the tip of “don’t have adult expectations for an outing.” If you keep getting out and being fit with your kids, one day you will be amazed to see that you have a hiker or a dancer or a swimmer, and it happens faster than expected. There are so many challenges in exercising with kids at first that it can feel like a trial, though you know you are headed somewhere good. When you hear other parents advise you about how much kids can do, it puts hope into the process.
VS: Why is it so important to introduce fitness to children?
HH: When you introduce young children to fitness, you are introducing a lifestyle. If you are out hiking or biking or practicing yoga together in the living room, it is what your kids know. Teaching your child an active lifestyle is especially important these days as it is no longer a given that your child will spend the afternoon in the yard running around before dinner is ready. Families are busy, little kids are in daycare, and physical activity isn’t automatic. Kids learn to be fit just as they learn other habits.
VS: At what age do you think it’s appropriate to start?
HH: I think that taking your child out as early as the infant and toddler stages is great exposure for your children. Initially, parents are able to stay fit by exercising with a baby. In the toddler years, a child already shows some independence and may no longer want to be toted around. By the time you have a preschooler, you might be surprised to see your child confidently acquiring skills like riding a two wheeler, skiing, or performing basic swim skills.
VS: When did you get your start in sports and fitness?
HH: I am the youngest in a family of six girls so by the time I came along, my oldest siblings were already participating in high school sports. I remember going on some family hikes when I was in my early elementary school years, and I mostly whined. I do remember getting my first pair of Rossignol Caribou cross-country skis when I was in fourth grade. They were white with red and blue stripes, and I received them on Christmas morning. My dad made trails in the fields and woods behind our house, and I loved going out there. I never participated in a Bill Koch League, but I did ski for my high school team. I tried a bunch of team sports from elementary school through junior high and finally realized that running and skiing suited me best when I reached high school.
VS: Your family has a fit mindset, but you still must face challenges some days. What are those challenges?
HH: There are definitely challenges. Lots of them, even when you’ve been at it awhile. This winter, we are having some trouble with the different abilities of our little cross-country skiers. Our preschooler can ski up and down hills, and she has figured out how to kick and glide. Our toddler screams bloody murder in the pulk, but can’t do much on skis. Both my husband and I want our own ski time, too, and we’re having trouble meeting everyone’s needs. A more general challenge that we experience is being patient when the kids aren’t having a great day. One of our first days skiing this season was horrible. Both girls were crying, and the crying was very loud. People were staring. I had thoughts that I never wanted to take my kids skiing again. I wanted to scream and cry, too, but I didn’t. That is one of the biggest challenges—staying calm and being positive when your kids are miserable.
VS: What are some trails or parks in Vermont that you recommend for young athletes?
HH: Hubbard Park, right behind Montpelier’s capitol building, is a great little hike with good terrain that offers a great view from the fortress atop the hill. Little River State Park in Waterbury has a lot to offer for kids. When the campground is closed, the access road is gated and is a great spot for walking, riding a bike, sledding, or skiing if there is fresh powder on a frozen base. There are hiking trails with nature and history markers, and there is also the reservoir for swimming. The Mad River Path in Waitsfield is great in that it is flat and the scenery is beautiful—walking through farmland beside the river. My kids and their friends love running alongside the river, but you do have to be mindful of the water access.
VS: What sports do your kids enjoy the most, and why?
HH: My daughter, Ava, who just turned 5, seems to enjoy just about every sport she tries. She loves cross-country skiing, running, biking, hiking, swimming, dancing (creative dance and ballet), and yoga. What she really loves is to race. Mention the word “race” and her eyes light up. She is like her dad that way. She has already participated in a couple of one-mile fun runs and a cross-country ski race. For Julia, who is 2-and-a-half years old, it is still early to tell what sports she likes most. She just got on a little training wheel bike, and she loves it. Mostly, she loves to be out with her older sister.
VS: What sports do you enjoy the most when you’re not with the kids?
HH: I love being high up in the hills at Trapps all by myself. Often I have one hour to myself while my husband is with the kids down low. It is so quiet and peaceful up there—a welcome change from a kid-filled life. Plus, the workout is incredible. I can get a good sweat going pretty quickly. Before snow hit, I was running a 10.7-mile loop in Waterbury Center with a bunch of other moms every Sunday morning. I love a long run on quiet roads or trails.
VS: Do you have any more books in your future?
HH: Not right now. I don’t have much time for writing now that my toddler is starting to give up her afternoon nap. I might have a different answer once both kids are in school.
— Sky Barsch
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