Many parents have taken on the role of teachers during the pandemic. Jeremy Bodenhamer, 42, has been working harder than ever since his three children became physical education educators. When youth sports stopped last year and playgrounds and playgrounds closed, the CEO of packaging and shipping software company ShipHawk began directing his boys through workouts at the gym. from the family garage.
“My boys like school, but they hate Zoom School,” says Mr. Bodenhamer, who lives in Goleta, California. Mr. Bodenhamer and his wife, Bethany Bodenhamer, dean of students at a local high school, are avid CrossFitters and have always encouraged their boys to be active. Titus, 9, plays baseball. 8-year-old Solomon loves hockey and running. Jeremiah, 6, is so interested in basketball that he watches Stephen Curry’s MasterClass daily and mimics the NBA player’s exercises.
In the morning, Mr. Bodenhamer runs the boys or leads them through short workouts. When they finish their distance learning sessions, they meet their father in the garage to do workouts. Mrs. Bodenhamer also joins in from time to time to make it a family affair. The boys post their training and fitness issues on their Instagram account @heartandhamer, hoping to inspire other kids to stay active. Last fall, the boys raised money through a GoFundMe campaign so they could buy 700 ropes to give to local elementary school children.
“I try to teach the boys that fitness is more than strong muscles,” Mr. Bodenhamer says. “We talk about life lessons like goal setting and strength inside and out.”