I like the way William R Mattox Jr., USA Today, said it: " This New Year, I've resolved to go on a diet that allows me to pull up to the family dinner table instead of requiring me to pull away from it. . . . The main purpose of my diet isn't to cut calories, carbs or fat. It's to trim the activities tat many families with children overindulge in on evenings and weekends."

Some people can diet successfuly simply by eating less at every meal. Most of us however, need to think a little deeper, make a plan and strategize what will work best for our personality, in order to be successful long term. Check out our Family Activity Planner. It has questions for you to ponder, and a chart to list each family members activities, the time involved, and how it impacts the family. "Extracurricular activities are a lot like the foods found in the four basic food groups. Each is good for you up to a point - but overindulgence in any (or every) area tends to throw everything out of balance."

Maddox says, "So, I'm going on an "activities diet" in 2005. Sure, I still plan on coaching my youngest son's Little League team and teaching a class at church. But I'm taking a break from traveling sports teams. I've already got our family vacation dates on the August calendar. And I'm seeing to it that our family eats many more evening meals together in 2005.

I'm sure it won't be easy to keep this New Year's resolution. But I'm going to give it a good try. Because even though I don't particularly like going on a crash diet, it sure beats letting our home become merely a place where people crash at night.

And even if going on an "activities diet" never becomes the latest fad, I'm convinced that it will help me become a better dad." !!!!!

Posted by Susan at 1/18/2005 08:41:36 AM | Link