The schedules of families with young kids can be full and, at times, exhausting. When will you have time to grocery shop or clean the house, let alone enjoy a date night with your significant other?
Many Life Time parents use the Parents Night Out events as an opportunity to check some of those to-dos — and want-to-dos! — off their lists. Parents Night Out events are held every Saturday evening for three hours, with kids participating in themed fun and activities, while parents can do whatever they want. Some choose to leave the club, while others might stay on site for a workout (or a spa appointment or maybe some time in the sauna — there are lots of options!).
We talked to a few parents to learn how and why they spend time at Life Time with their families, plus how they make the most of Parents Night Out.
Metra F.
Metra, age 37, and her husband have three children, a 6-year-old daughter and almost 5-year-old twin boys. They are members at Life Time in Edina, Minn.
How do you and your family spend time together at Life Time? Do you have favorite things to do?
My husband and I go to Life Time nearly every day and enjoy taking classes together — we’re a bit competitive, so there’s some friendly rivalry when we sweat together! Currently, we’re obsessed with the new signature group training class, MB360.
On days when the kids aren’t in school, we’ll drop them off at the Kids Academy to take one of their favorite classes, like tumbling or junior warriors, or to make the “craft of the day” in the art studio.
Afterward, we’ll head to the pool (the rooftop pool in the summer, the indoor pool in the winter) to get some wiggles out. After swimming and showers in the family locker room (yay for clean kids!), the kids beg for popsicles in the LifeCafe (typically on the coldest days of the year — ha!).
What do your kids enjoy about attending the Parents Night Out events?
My kids love attending Parents Night Out events because it’s basically a birthday party, minus the presents. They get to play games facilitated by the team members, make crafts that I don’t allow at home (hard pass on glitter or slime in my house!), and eat as much pizza as they’d like. They attend Parents Night Out so often that they know the team members well and have “PNO friends!”
What do you like to do while your child participates in Parents Night Out?
Once I drop the kids off at Parents Night Out, I set my timer for 180 minutes and spring out of Life Time like an Olympic sprinter, committed to taking advantage of every kid-free second of time!
With three young children, it’s rare we have a quiet, peaceful house, so the past few Parents Night Out events have been spent cleaning the house to some ‘90s old-school jams, cranking out 3,000 words to the sequel of my debut novel, All the Blues Come Through, and my personal favorite, lounging on the couch with my husband in front of a charcuterie board (that I don’t have to share with my kids!).
It sounds a bit selfish and uneventful, but when I pick the kids up from Parents Night Out, I’m recharged, they’re happy from having had a fun evening, and better yet, they’re exhausted and ready for bed. It’s a win-win!
Why is living a healthy way of life important to your family?
I think it’s important for my kids to see my husband and me dedicated to moving our bodies, both for our physical and mental well-being. One of our priorities is for them to grow up surrounded by a community of families with the same objectives as us. Taking care of our bodies and well-being will ensure we’re our best selves so we can show up for one another.
Andrew and Courtney O.
Andrew and Courtney, both in their 30s, have 9- and 6-year-old boys. They are members at Life Time in Laguna Niguel, Calif., and they occasionally visit Life Time in San Clemente, Calif.
How do you and your family spend time together at Life Time? Do you have favorite things to do?
My husband and I love working out on the workout floor, sometimes together, but most of the time we do our own thing. We enjoy an occasional yoga class (Carolyn C.’s ROOT class is a favorite) and the entire family thinks the world of the Kids Academy (our kids think Coach Taylor C. is the best, and so do we!). Once upon a time, when my scheduled allowed it, Alyssa’s 6 a.m. GTX class and that entire community was a lifeline for me.
In the warmer months, you can find us at the pool weekly. I’m a beach girl, but Life Time makes it too family-friendly to pass up with the poolside café, towels, warm showers, and no sand.
What do your kids enjoy about attending the Parents Night Out events?
Parents Night Out is another favorite of all of ours because the kids are fed dinner and have an awesome night of rock climbing or other sports, art, and play time with friends. These events fill up quickly, so I try and set a reminder to register on time, ensuring my kids have a spot.
What do you like to do while your child participates in Parents Night Out?
We always go on a date at a local restaurant. And because errands are easier without kids, we might also squeeze in an errand or two.
Why is living a healthy way of life important to your family?
My husband and I are far happier and more balanced people when we stay active and eat healthy. We’ve lived seasons of life where his job, or my early years of motherhood, kept us from an active lifestyle and we have no desire to get into a rut like that again.
I homeschool our boys and my husband works from home, so we both need to carve out that time to be physically active so we can pour from a full cup.
Staying active also keeps us in shape for all the outdoor activities we do as a family. You can find us skiing or snowboarding throughout the winter or running and hiking locally. Once summer comes, there are plenty of beach days, fishing, and camping.
Above all, my husband and I living a healthy lifestyle and providing it for our boys models its importance to them.
Steeva S.
Steeva, age 30, and her husband have two children, a 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son. They are members at Life Time Lake Houston in Humble, Texas.
How do you and your family spend time together at Life Time? Do you have favorite things to do?
I actually work at Life Time as a studio manager because I knew it would be the perfect place to start my career in the health field as someone who is big on doing healthy activities as a family.
My family likes to plan weekend pool dates together, and we love hanging out in the LifeCafe and grabbing a bite to eat before I teach my evening classes.
What do your kids enjoy about attending the Parents Night Out events?
My kids like attending Parents Night Out because they like all of the activities that are planned for the evening. They are also very creative and love to make crafts and bring them home to hang up on their walls.
What do you like to do while your child participates in Parents Night Out?
I appreciate getting a few hours with my husband to have a quiet meal and catch up after a long work week. I enjoy the guilt-free feeling of knowing my kids are having fun with their friends and are being well taken care of.
Why is living a healthy way of life important to your family?
Living a healthy way of life is important to my family because with health comes improved overall happiness. When we are able to be involved in healthy activities, we feel and function better as a family unit.
Kimi G.
Kimi, age 40, and her husband have three children, 7- and 5-year-old sons and a 3-year-old daughter. They are members at Life Time and visit the clubs in Eden Prairie and Minnetonka, Minn.
How do you and your family spend time together at Life Time? Do you have favorite things to do?
When we go to Life Time, our kids prefer to be in the Kids Academy (or “play place,” as our kids refer to it). They enjoy the crafts, games, and of course, the field trips to the gymnasium for gym games and sports.
With kids these ages, the Kids Academy is crucial to my husband and I actually getting a few workouts in ourselves. The kids participate in the swimming program, and while they’re doing that my husband and I take a class or get in some cardio and strength training.
What do your kids enjoy about attending the Parents Night Out events?
Our kids love the Kids Academy, and my two boys are so excited that their little sister is old enough now to attend with them! They love meeting new friends and all the planned activities. I think the comfort of being in a place they know makes it a really easy way for us to incorporate the Parents Night Out events into our calendar. They actually get pretty sad if they miss out on one or if the registration fills up before we sign up.
What do you like to do while your child participates in Parents Night Out?
We don’t typically make grandiose plans when we have our kids signed up for Parents Night Out because it’s all dependent on how much energy we have that night — and what we feel like we’re up for at the end of a long week.
Often, we’ll just be spontaneous and go to dinner somewhere nearby. There also have been events where we’ve come right back home and taken advantage of a kid-free house for a few hours. In the past, we’ve done things like put our Christmas decorations away or packed for an upcoming vacation — that time is precious and absolutely invaluable to us.
Why is living a healthy way of life important to your family?
Some evenings, when we just don’t have it in us to work out, we realize that maybe we just need to connect as a couple and as parents — so we find ourselves at Rare (a steak and sushi restaurant located in select Life Time clubs) enjoying a glass of wine and sushi. Sometimes that is what keeps us healthy and happy!
We try to teach our kids that it’s important for mom and dad to also have their alone time, and to make exercising a priority so that we can be strong and healthy and keep up with them. We remind them that it’s important for them to do the same — listen to their bodies and what their bodies might be trying to tell them.
