My weekly update is a little earlier than usual this week as my partner is due to have an operation on their knee very early next Monday. As you can imagine we will be a little busy getting ready this weekend!
GenMates and Social Networking
Our Social Networking site for Genealogists continue to attract massive publicity with yet another interview being featured in the press. As a result membership continues to grow at a tremedous rate and we are seeing over 600 unique visitors per day! If you haven’t checked out GenMates yet then we look forward to seeing you there soon!
Talking of Social Networking we have a number of new sites planned for the coming year which I think you will find of interest - so as they say “watch this space” for more news!
Blogging
As you may be aware I have a number of very successful Niche Blogs and various subscribers have asked me recently if I have any information on how to Blog. If you go to Blogging for All you can find free report covering some of the basics of blogging. If you are interested in looking at how to Earn Money From Blogging you just need to click on that link to look at a very interesting package that will really help you. Finally if you have mastered making money from blogs but are interested in really increasing your readership then you need to take a look at Increasing Your Blog Readership.
Did You See The News?
If you are in the UK then you cannot fail to have seen the news items on Obesity which is an increasing problem both here and in the US. Childhood Obesity in particular appears to be increasing massivly and is a real cause for concern for any parent. Given the issues that this is clearly causing we wanted to make our very popular Childhood Obesity ebook available to as many people as possible so have massively reduced the price for a limited time. Just click on Childhood Obesity and you can see what is covered and the advice it gives in dealing with the problem. I hope the limited time price reduction will help anyone who needs help with this problem the opportunity to grab a copy.
1911 Census Petition
Again we have been getting massive publicity for the 1911 Census Petition and in a short time we have well over a 1,000 signatures!
Our Genealogy and Scrapbooking Audio Articles are currently being developed as well as the informative Scrapbooking Blog! Add to that the Squidoo Lens that we have created at Scrapbooking Ideas and you can see that we are continuing to develop a while range of sites that meet your needs! if you have any ideas for new sites or additions that you would like to see then just drop me a line or leave a comment here!
See you again soon!
October 12th, 2006
More than five years ago, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) published ‘Guidelines for School and Community Programs’ to promote physical activity in children and teenagers, in hopes of helping them develop lifelong exercise and physical fitness regimens.
If you, as a parent, understand and embrace these guidelines, you can work with your school system and with community centers and programs, like the YMCA and the Boy Scouts, to encourage and even help to develop physical activity and exercise programs that support your goals.
If your child is obese, slightly overweight or simply in danger of falling into the great, black pit of video gaming, you need to get them off the couch, out from in front of the computer or video game station, and out into the fresh air to get some exercise.
Without exercise, diet is much less successful.
Although your child may balk at physical activities at first, they will eventually find that they feel better, sleep better and function better when they exercise.
Take a look at some of the CDC guidelines and look for ways to get your child more involved in exercise, and/or to get YOURSELF more involved in the development of these programs in your schools and community.
The CDC encourages schools and community organizations alike to establish policies and guidelines that encourage physical activity that is enjoyable and that is suitable for all age groups, so that exercise becomes a lifelong activity.
Schools MUST require physical education credits and provide detailed health education and courses to teach children proper nutritional habits and to show them the right way to exercise so that they are not injured in the process.
Schools will find and implement physical education and exercise programs that encourage physical activity and offer enjoyable options. Activities like dance, gymnastics, sports and other options should be offered with supervised coaching to avoid injury. Not all activities should be competitive!
Activities should be sequential, advancing in complexity and challenge as the child ages to allow them to achieve physical potential.
At minimum, National Physical Fitness standards should be met.
Both schools and community organizations must provide funding and adequate supervision and guidance for physical activities, sports, and exercise equipment.
These activities and equipment choices must provide a broad range of options to satisfy the interests of all the children in the community, and school system.
Community and school programs should include activities that are appropriate for children of all ages and all levels of ability.
These programs should be advertised and promoted to children to advise them of the availability and the programs should be desirable and enjoyable for the age group and type of children who are expected to participate.
Health education classes should help students develop knowledge and skills to encourage and enhance proper diet and exercise programs. These programs should foster an appropriate attitude so that all children WANT to live a healthy life style.
Programs should stress moderation in all activities so that children see exercise as one of the things they will do every day, in addition to the other activities they love, e.g. computer or video games, or watching TV or movies.
All coaches, teachers, health education staff, and recreation directors should have appropriate training to manage and promote this physical education and exercise programs and to ensure that the children under their supervision safely participate in these programs.
Safe, supervised access to facilities and equipment is critical!
Unstructured play time is important during school and after school, with tools and equipment to encourage impromptu games, e.g. balls, bats, jump ropes, gymnastics equipment.
Parents and teachers should come together to discuss the availability of school and community exercise and physical education programs.
Parents should be encouraged to take on exercise and physical activities and to share these with their children as appropriate; to become role models for their kids by exercising and participating in physical activities during family events, at work functions, while visiting the park, etc.
All school and community programs should be evaluated periodically.
This evaluation should be detailed enough to ensure that the needs of the children in the community are being met.
Does each child have more than one option and opportunity for exercise and health education in multiple venues and facilities?
Now that you understand the CDC recommendations, take a look at your own school system and at the extracurricular, and community availability of physical activities, sports and exercise options.
If your community is lagging behind in these programs, get actively involved. Your attendance and presentation at a town board meeting can get organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, and the YMCA into your community.
And you can talk to your school board and PTA or PTO about the shortcomings in your physical education and health programs, and how your school system may be able to improve their current programs.
You will find it much easier to help your child meet their weight loss or fitness goals when you have community and school system support.
For your overweight, obese or inactive child, this support and assistance is priceless! To find more ways of Tackling Childhood Obesity click on the link.
October 10th, 2006
