Here is an article about one area of Florida who wants to promote the importance of families!
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051031/LIFE/510310304/1005
Posted by Stacy at 10/31/2005 09:48:00 PM | Link
"...The U.S. Surgeon General has declared childhood obesity a national epidemic, estimating that more than six million American Children are obese, with five million more at risk." Thus begins an article by Barry Willis of the Marin Independent Journal. He describes a new documentary, "The Weight of Obesity - A Balanced Reality" by filmmaker Mickey Freeman.
"It's a complex issue," Freeman says, describing the problem as a combination of "self-esteem issues, inactivity, TV marketing, ignorance about diet and nutrition" and what he calls "the erosion of the family meal."
"He contends that over the past two decades, families have become mere collections of individuals residing under the same roof, not connecting with each other. Despite hectically overscheduled lives, kids often feel isolated and become depressed, taking solace in food. High divorce rates and the commonplace situation of both parents holding down demanding jobs has all but eliminated the family meal."
"One of the oldest and most important social rituals has almost disappeared," he says.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.marinij.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?
You can visit Mickey Freeman at:
www.weightofobesity.org
Posted by Barbara at 10/26/2005 09:19:00 AM | Link
I have been impressed with another community effort called Balance4Success. I am so pleased they are getting noticed by the media, because it only helps those of us who are seeking to put our families first! I hope all these community groups that are striving for more balanced lives can find each other to further this valuable work!
Check out this article about what happened at a Balance4Success town meeting.
http://www.thisweek-online.com/2005/October/7boycott.html
Posted by Stacy at 10/10/2005 08:09:00 AM | Link
Parenting With Vision invites you to attend a special event:"Taming the Game"Tuesday, November 15, 20057:00 - 8:30 pmCentral Middle SchoolAuditoriumGuest Speaker: Frank WhiteThere has been a dramatic shift in youth sports away from a sense of enjoyment, physical fitness and sportsmanship to intense competition. The goal of this presentation is to increase awareness of the types of negative behavior allowed in youth sports. Come and hear about ideas that create a positive, fun and safe environment for our youth, using an established model. This model is working in several communities by setting standards and reducing negative behavior by participants, coaches and spectators.
Sponsored by: Wayzata PTA/PTO Liaison CommitteeWayzata Public SchoolsCommunities in Collaboration Council
Posted by Barbara at 10/05/2005 08:50:00 AM | Link
We just celebrated my son's 8th birthday. We went to a hotel with a water park. There was one ride that all the boys were scared to go on called the Hurricane. Guess who decided to give it a try!! I have never sped down anything so fast in all my life! This ride was a four story high waterslide, in the dark, that spits you out into what resembles a toilet bowl! You spin around in the "bowl" until you are flushed out at the bottom into eight feet of water. The kids said that I had never looked happier...Kids obviously can not tell happy from pure shock! I tried to convince the boys not to do it, because I really was frightened. Silly me! I guess if a mom can do it, so can any eight year old boy (or husband!)
I will never forget this birthday party, and I am so glad that I actually got in that water and participated! I usually sit on the side, supervising, making sure everything is OK when it comes to my son's events. This time, I let the lifeguards do there job, making sure a 40 year old woman survived being flushed down the Hurricane!
Posted by Stacy at 10/01/2005 07:53:00 PM | Link